Little House Book Club Linkup

Jana from The Townhouse Pioneer started a "Little House Book Club" where we will re-read the entire Little House on The Prairie series - one book per month. Then on the last day of the month, we will linkup and do our reviews.

This month the assignment was the first book in the series Little House in the Big Woods. 

Let's start with a little background about me and the Little House stuff. I was OBSESSED with anything and everything Little House on the Prairie. I even dressed up as Laura for Halloween once or twice. I searched high and low for that picture with no luck. I have asked my mom to look in the photo albums at home. Before we are done with all of the books I will share that gem with all of you :]

So naturally, when I found out about this book club I was all in. And I didn't have to go any further than my basement to get my old copy. And I don't just have a copy of each book in the Little House on the Prairie series, I have copies of the series that were written in the time of Laura's daughter, I have picture books, paper dolls, cookbooks, and anything else that had Little House on the Prairie on it. Don't worry - you will get to see some of this amazing stuff in future posts. 

I have a vivid memory of getting this book from the library when I was a child. I was a huge reader and would read 2 or 3 books a day and would want to go back to the library every other day. My mom realized I needed something more challenging. I have no idea how old I was, but I remember her asking the librarian for suggestions and she suggested this. I remember my mom saying I was too young for Little House on the Prairie, but the librarian said Little House in the Big Woods was a much easier read and appropriate for my age. When I looked up where the book was, I grabbed Little House on the Prairie and read a few pages thinking, "I'm not too young to read this book!" And as soon as I was done with Little House in the Big Woods I went right for Little House on the Prairie and never looked back. I really didn't like people telling me what I could and couldn't do. In fact, I still don't. 

Now onto the review. . . . let me say, other than clicking how many stars I liked the book on Goodreads, I have never reviewed a book in my life. I honestly can't believe I have never really done a book review with all that I read. Oh well - first time for everything!

There were parts of this book that I remember reading as a child. Like them playing with animal organs as toys . . . I remember specifically being very grossed out about that then, and when re-reading it now. I remember thinking how boring it would be to have to sit around all day on Sunday. I also remember thinking how cold it must have been to ride on the sleigh to her grandparents house, and quickly thanking my lucky stars for a heated car. 

Overall, re-reading this book transported me back to childhood. As a child, this was one of my first exposures to how life was back then. Laura writes with great detail on how every chore was performed. It almost made me feel that I could just go out and do some of the things from her description. 

What do I think of the book today? It seems like a million years away now, as opposed to the almost 150 years that it actually is. But, I believe the book is written with a child reader in mind, and I believe it is written well. I hope that my niece will take the time to read these books and get a feel for how life was like in the pioneer days. 

Do you remember reading the Little House books when you were little? What were your favorite or least favorite parts?