Does anyone not like the Little House books??

[PeacefulChaos]

...or other Laura Ingalls Wilder books??

 

I'm just curious.  I picked what books to read with Astro this year based on the 2nd grade list from Great Books Academy, and almost all of them are LIW books.  We just started our first one last week - Little House in the Big Woods, I think it is - and I'm seriously so bored I feel like I'm going to pull my hair out.  He seems to feel the same way, and he has some focusing issues (not diagnosed issues, just general spacey-ness) anyway.  Luckily I bought them all used, so I didn't spend much money on them, and I'd probably keep them anyway in case Pink wants to read them (on her own, preferably) when she is older.

I just have no idea what to do in place of them.  There were seriously, like, 8 LIW books on the list - and out of the other 4, I could only find 2.  So I don't know what to fill that gap with! 

 

Help!

[Night Elf]

My kids and I didn't care for them. What do you need to replace them with? Books from the same time period? Or just any books that 2nd graders read? Have you heard of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle? Now those were some awesome stories! I reread those aloud so many times that my kids were able to retell the stories on their own.

[MrsMommy]

Have you tried reading any of the other ones? I think that the pacing of the first book is very different from the rest of them. She's mostly retelling stories she's heard from others in that book, and when she starts telling stories about her own experiences, the books get more exciting and faster-paced, imo.

[DianeW88]

The first one is written for very young children...five or so.  As you progress through the series, the books get more difficult and the plots more complex.  We adore them here!!  I read them a child, and my kids loved them as well. 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I never enjoyed the books or the t.v. show.

[mommymilkies]

I liked them more the second time.  My kids loved them.  I was a little put off by the spankings and details of the hog butchering, and the last two books, especially, are NOT FOR SENSITIVE KIDS. Even I was traumatized by The First Four Years.

[Chris in VA]

If you want to stay with the same time period or genre, you could do Caddie Woodlawn. It's set slightly earlier, during and just after the Civil War (her father paid someone to fight in his place, so the CW plays very little role in the story). I think it's very well-written and engaging, though there are some denser descriptive passages.

 

Have you read Farmer Boy? It's slightly different in tone, and may be more engaging. Also sometimes I introduced literature with a movie. I like the most recent Little House on the Prairie even better than the old TV series and TV movies.

 

I'm a big fan of LIW, so that's just my opinion.:-)

[HollyDay]

My oldest dd never liked the Little House books.  Youngest loved them and has reread several of them.  Try taking a peak at Drawn into the Heart of Reading booklist:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into-optional3.php

 

They have "boy" lit packs and "girl" lit packs as well.  Something more adventure oriented might be of more interest to both of you.

[*Michelle*]

I think boys benefit from listening to Farmer Boy first.

[DianeW88]

I never enjoyed the books or the t.v. show.

 

The TV show was a travesty and never should have been made.  That show didn't resemble anything that actually happened in Laura's life.  Ugh.

[PeacefulChaos]

My kids and I didn't care for them. What do you need to replace them with? Books from the same time period? Or just any books that 2nd graders read? Have you heard of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle? Now those were some awesome stories! I reread those aloud so many times that my kids were able to retell the stories on their own.

 

I'll replace them with anything - it doesn't really matter to me!  I've heard of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle but don't have any/haven't read them. 

Generally I'd like to stay in a range like that - books that are kind of like, 'must reads' if that makes sense.  I know that's different for everyone lol!

 

Another thing that I want to keep in mind for sure is Astro's personality.  He's very much 'all boy' in the sense that he's all about action/adventure/etc.  We read The Jungle Book before we started this book and he actually seemed to be into it, which I have to say was kind of a first!  He's also into James and the Giant Peach, which we're reading aloud together right now (as in, together with Link as opposed to just him).  So entertaining stuff, I guess.

[Chelli]

My 2nd grade read aloud list in linked in my siggy. Lots of good choices,

[Lady Florida.]

I've never liked them and neither did ds.

[marbel]

My kids liked them for a while.  Farmer Boy and The Long Winter were the best for us.  My son lost interest as Laura started growing up - too much woman's point of view for him, so we gave up after that.  Also we tried using The Prairie Primer and that sucked the life out of it for my kids.  When my daughter was reading on her own I gave her the set and encouraged her to read them, but she lost interest quickly.

 

I felt a bit guilty at first.  The books are such an American icon and it seemed everyone loves them.  Then I came to my senses. There are lots of books out there!

[Tangerine]

double

[Tangerine]

I felt a bit that way with Farmer Boy.  I felt like it was neverending descriptions of equipment and processes I couldn't quite envision.

[Negin]

Didn't really care for the books. Love the TV series. We have most of them on DVD.

For myself, this was one of my favorite books, just fabulous. She mentions the books being a bit boring - an entire chapter about making apple strudel or whatever. She seems so nice and funny. I wish I knew her in real life.  :) The cover just cracks me up every time. Was going to post it here, but it may be offensive to some. 

 

[Scrub Jay]

. I like the most recent Little House on the Prairie even better than the old TV series and TV movies.

)

There's a more recent Little House? A movie or a show?

[Word Nerd]

The TV show was a travesty and never should have been made. That show didn't resemble anything that actually happened in Laura's life. Ugh.

FWIW, the books themselves took a lot of liberties with what actually happened in her life. Rose Wilder Lane embellished stories and changed the order of events to add drama. I don't think anyone knows how heavy a hand she used while editing the books, and some have suggested she was a ghostwriter in some places.

[Dory]

I suggest reading Farmer Boy first. It has a little more activity in it. I almost memorized that book when I was a kid. Little House in the Big Woods is definitely one of the slower ones.

[Joyofsixreboot]

My 14 and 9 yo girls do not like them. Surprisingly my boys did.

[Chris in VA]

Yes, it's from 2009 and is based on the Little House on the Prairie book.

:-)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP9jnbrpG4Y

[momma2three]

FWIW, the books themselves took a lot of liberties with what actually happened in her life. Rose Wilder Lane embellished stories and changed the order of events to add drama. I don't think anyone knows how heavy a hand she used while editing the books, and some have suggested she was a ghostwriter in some places.

 

Yeah, but the show was just ridiculous.  I've never seen the appeal at all.  Almost all of the people I know who like the show turn out never to have read the books.

[Guest]

I never liked them when I was little. I haven't been excited about reading them with the kids. I know that this year we have Farmer Boy and On the Banks of Plum Creek scheduled. We will see how it goes.

[Dory]

Yes, it's from 2009 and is based on the Little House on the Prairie book.

 

They made jack into a blue healer?!! That's just so wrong. They weren't even in the US until the 40's.

[Scrub Jay]

Yeah, but the show was just ridiculous. I've never seen the appeal at all. Almost all of the people I know who like the show turn out never to have read the books.

Even the early years with young Laura? I don't know the show well. I only watched it a bit as a kid and hadn't read the books as a child. But DD1 and I really enjoyed the series a few years back so I always thought we'd watch at least the early years of the show.

 

Anyone know if it is available streaming anywhere, like Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime?

[DianeW88]

FWIW, the books themselves took a lot of liberties with what actually happened in her life. Rose Wilder Lane embellished stories and changed the order of events to add drama. I don't think anyone knows how heavy a hand she used while editing the books, and some have suggested she was a ghostwriter in some places.

 

Oh, I totally agree!  I think Rose actually WAS the author of those books...which I have no problem with, and neither did Laura.  Michael Landon, however, was not...and the liberties he took with those scripts were ridiculous.  Mary Ingalls never married, never ran a school for the blind, etc.  That whole storyline was directly in contrast with what actually happened.  I think that if you are representing yourself on TV as someone who actually lived, you should stay as true to their life as you possibly can.

Not that I have anything against Michael Landon, mind you, he was one of my first crushes.  And my dh looks exactly like him. :001_wub:

[Chris in VA]

Yes, Jack as a blue heeler is very wrong!But I do like some of this version.

[LucyStoner]

There are parts I liked and others I did not. I dislike the overly detailed descriptions at times.

 

Also was I the only one who found Pa grating at times?

 

I agree the show was a totally different thing. They were just making sh!t up as they went. It was like Anne: The Continuing Story only it went on for many episodes and years. Painful.

[*Michelle*]

Also was I the only one who found Pa grating at times?

 

 

As an adult, I found Pa to be incredibly irresponsible when it came to his family's welfare.  I was glad when Ma finally put her foot down and said no more moving around.  When they were starving in The Long Winter, I kept thinking, "you should have stayed in your nice cabin in the Big Woods, near your family."

 

I'm obviously not the pioneer-type.

[LucyStoner]

As an adult, I found Pa to be incredibly irresponsible when it came to his family's welfare. I was glad when Ma finally put her foot down and said no more moving around. When they were starving in The Long Winter, I kept thinking, "you should have stayed in your nice cabin in the Big Woods, near your family."

 

I'm obviously not the pioneer-type.

Yeah, it was the wanderlust at the expense of his kids eating that got to me. My parents often aimlessly moved us around so that stuck out to me as a kid when I read it the first time.

[Scrub Jay]

As an adult, I found Pa to be incredibly irresponsible when it came to his family's welfare. I was glad when Ma finally put her foot down and said no more moving around. When they were starving in The Long Winter, I kept thinking, "you should have stayed in your nice cabin in the Big Woods, near your family."

 

I'm obviously not the pioneer-type.

I remember being surprised that he borrowed money (am I remembering this right?) when building a house and adding windows. Then the locusts came and destroyed his crops so he had to sell the house to pay the debt. And then I believe they moved again.

 

But, as a parent, he seemed much more warm and approachable than Ma ever did.

[Dmmetler]

I read one out loud (Little House on the Prairie, I think) and told DD that if she wanted to read the rest she had to do it for herself. I just plain couldn't handle one more multi-page description of wheat fields. Or billowing smoke, or clouds, or whatever. I swear the entire events of the book took less than 10% of the content.

 

 

[Kathryn]

As an adult, I found Pa to be incredibly irresponsible when it came to his family's welfare. I was glad when Ma finally put her foot down and said no more moving around. When they were starving in The Long Winter, I kept thinking, "you should have stayed in your nice cabin in the Big Woods, near your family."

 

I'm obviously not the pioneer-type.

I felt exactly the same when we read these to DS. I was really upset with how Pa was always uprooting the family without a good plan.

[Sparkle]

I love the books and have read them many times. I am reading Little Town on the Prairie right now with the girls. But, if you don't enjoy them, then pick something else! Although, I agree with the others, Farmer Boy has much more boy appeal. My ds was determined to become a farmer after hearing that book :) Possible replacements: books by Clyde Robert Bulla; Childhood of Famous Americans series; Creative Minds Biography series; Charlotte's Web; Doctor Dolittle books; the Ladd Family Adventure series by Lee Roddy; Little Britches and Man of the House by Ralph Moody.

[DianeW88]

I remember being surprised that he borrowed money (am I remembering this right?) when building a house and adding windows. Then the locusts came and destroyed his crops so he had to sell the house to pay the debt. And then I believe they moved again.

 

But, as a parent, he seemed much more warm and approachable than Ma ever did.

 

Yes, apparently Caroline Ingalls was more than a little cold and austere as a parent...according to Laura.  I find reading things she wrote as an adult, for other adults, to be the most interesting.  She really did live a fascinating life...it's just been heavily sanitized in the LH books.  Understandable, as they are for children.

[momto10blessings]

See if your library has the audio CDs by cherry jones. Very well done

[twoxcell]

I love the whole series and my kids like all of the ones I have read them. I will say that many people find Little House in the Big woods more boring than the others. You might try Little House on the Prairie or Farmer Boy those are both really good. I like the old TV show too but it is really nothing like the books. I really like the Little House on The Prairie mini series that Disney did more recently. I bought it on DVD from Amazon for like 5 dollars.

[twoxcell]

 

They made jack into a blue healer?!! That's just so wrong. They weren't even in the US until the 40's.

I have yet to see any version where Jack is the right kind of dog. What is up with that?

[Julie Smith]

I did not like them when I started. But they grew on me. 

 

I loved it when we listened to the audio version which included actual fiddle playing. They ended up being a hit and I think we all listened to the first 6 books 2 times each.

[nmoira]

I remember being surprised that he borrowed money (am I remembering this right?) when building a house and adding windows. Then the locusts came and destroyed his crops so he had to sell the house to pay the debt. And then I believe they moved again

I don't recall the exact timeline, but IRL he and Caroline worked in a hotel and ended up skipping town with the kids to escape their debts.

[nmoira]

My youngest was fixated on the bad financial decisions Pa and Almanzo made. She didn't like either of them, though she did like Laura.

[Scrub Jay]

I don't recall the exact timeline, but IRL he and Caroline worked in a hotel and ended up skipping town with the kids to escape their debts.

Oh wow! Didn't know that at all.

 

I'd love to read a Laura Ingalls biography.

[momma2three]

I loved the books as a kid, and was really surprised at how many appallingly bad decisions Pa made when I re-read them as an adult.  I knew that times were tough, but I totally never got how close to starvation and death they were for pretty much the entire series, Little House in the Big Woods excepted.  I read recently that all the girls probably had diabetes, and died of related causes... and the reason they lived so long was basically because they lived on a starvation diet.

 

I've had this on my to-read shelf for YEARS now: I should probably get around to reading it someday!  http://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Long-Shadow-American/dp/0826218032

[lailasmum]

As an adult, I found Pa to be incredibly irresponsible when it came to his family's welfare.  I was glad when Ma finally put her foot down and said no more moving around.  When they were starving in The Long Winter, I kept thinking, "you should have stayed in your nice cabin in the Big Woods, near your family."

 

I'm obviously not the pioneer-type.

 

I thought exactly the same thing. I like the first book but as they go on Pa just comes across as a dodgy geezer who follows whatever his latest whim is without thinking about his family.

 

[vonfirmath]

Yeah, but the show was just ridiculous.  I've never seen the appeal at all.  Almost all of the people I know who like the show turn out never to have read the books.

 

I have read and enjoyed the books. i love the TV show too.

[Scrub Jay]

Regarding Pa up and going all of the time - wasn't that very typical for back then? It isn't a way I would ever want to live but I always viewed it as the normal pioneer life when reading.

[Mothersweets]

Awww, you guys are being way too hard on Pa!

 

Pa did the best he could with the  cards he was dealt. Yes, they could have stayed in Wisconsin, but he wanted more of the American dream for his family. I agree with Kathleen, it seems pretty typical for a pioneer family to move around a bit.

 

Yes, he borrowed money but how was he to know that locusts were coming to eat his beautiful wheat fields thereby destroying any financial gain they had made?  It's really easy to play 20th century quarterback on his decisions, but I truly believe he deeply cared for his family and did all he could for his family. Plus, he could play the violin like nobody's business! What a bonus! ;)

 

I found Pa much more likeable than Ma - she always struck me as cold and unapproachable. Even in later years when Laura and Almanzo are married and have Rose, you can see how rigid she is.  Ma complains to Laura about Rose's behavior; apparently Ma expects her (Rose) to be able to sit still and sew on her sampler - at age 3!!??

[Word Nerd]

My son was done when the dog died.

 

 

In the first book? The family thought he had died, but he turns up several days later. (That part of the story annoyed me, BTW, as Laura didn't feel at liberty to grieve when she thought her beloved pet had died because "crying is shameful.") 

[nmoira]

In the first book? The family thought he had died, but he turns up several days later. (That part of the story annoyed me, BTW, as Laura didn't feel at liberty to grieve when she thought her beloved pet had died because "crying is shameful.") 

 

No, old Jack dies in By the Shores of Silver Lake. IRL he was sold with Pet and Patty when the Ingalls family returned to Wisconsin from Indian Territory. It's unlikely Laura herself would have had many memories of Jack, since she was something like 3 or 4 at the time.