Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Rating: My Bookshelf

Reading Level: Early Elementary (Read-Aloud), Mid-late Elementary

This All-American Classic tells the story of a post-civil-war family that has settled in a log cabin in the woods on the frontier. I love the educational bits: making a smokehouse out of a hollowed-out log, or making a straw hat out of wheat chaff.

A few potential concerns parents should know:

• Laura’s dad tells a story about his youth when he “pretended he was hunting Indians.” A thoughtful reader on facebook reminded me that this is a delicate issue; there was tragically a historical reality that involved massacres from the Native American people and also a bounty on their scalps—which would likely cause pain and terror on both sides. This is a good opportunity to discuss racial hatred and biblical views on how the powerful are to steward their power.
• Corporal punishment. When children disobey, they are disciplined with a “switch” or other means of spanking them. Again, a thoughtful reader pointed out that this was a cultural norm for the times; parents who didn’t use these forms of discipline were considered to not be doing their jobs as parents. I’m not trying to make judgements here; my job is simply to let parents know so that they can decide whether this warrants a conversation with their kids.
• Sabbath. There are stories about Sabbath being a very solemn day with no fun alllowed; in my family sabbath is a time for rest, but that includes joy! Humans can often twist God’s laws into heavy burdens that miss the point, and it might be worth a conversation about which of God’s laws your family has turned into a burden that misses the point.
• Jealousy. Laura is jealous of her older sister’s blonde hair, and she struggles tremendously. A few times, she knocks on brown hair and if your daughter has brown hair you might want to chat with her about how Laura’s views don’t represent the world’s!

This book is also reviewed by Big Books Little Ears: https://bigbookslittleears.com/little-house-in-the-big-woods/

Image courtesy of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum.