Middle Grade Books I Love: Little House in the Big Woods

I've often joked that if the world comes crashing down, grab your copy of Little House in the Big Woods. It teaches you how to make cheese, smoke meat, and many other useful skills. 

The books in this historical fiction series by Laura Ingalls Wilder have come under criticism in recent years because of their depiction of Native Americans during horrible times in our country's history. 

Yes, what Laura describes is awful, but also based on her truth and real events. To simply stop reading books that portray racist or problematic issues is to also refuse to look at those actions and not only realize humans could have done better but that we must in the future. The conflicts between new settlers (mostly White) and the indigenous populations already in place is a sad part of many histories around the world. Don't shy away from looking it dead in the face and discussing it. 

If you have concerns about the glamorizing Wilder added to her novels, remember they are historical fiction, not a direct retelling of facts. She wove her own personal experiences with that fiction and often shifted the real events for a smoother or more interesting story. But what remains true is the Little House series depicts a time in American life that is honestly not that long ago and fascinating to experience through Laura's young eyes. 

Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers. 

Little House in the Big Woods takes place in 1871 and introduces us to four-year-old Laura, who lives in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. She shares the cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack.

Pioneer life isn’t easy for the Ingalls family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. They celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do their spring planting, bring in the harvest in the fall, and make their first trip into town. And every night, safe and warm in their little house, the sound of Pa’s fiddle lulls Laura and her sisters into sleep.

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

It is still listed as a "teacher pick" on Amazon and ranks high up in sales. Don't let the controversies keep you from reading and enjoying this first book in the series. Little House in the Big Woods itself is free from all the political dramas that follow Book 2: Little House on the Prairie. 

If you continue with the series, use it as a launch pad for discussing America's sad history and how Native Americans were treated. Discuss the Trail of Tears that Laura describes seeing. Then move on to the other books in the series. There are enormous lessons there for both home and school conversations. 

One year when I was teaching a kindergarten/first grade classroom, we studied pioneer life all year, and I read the series aloud after lunch each day. While The Long Winter got genuinely long and boggy, it still led to fantastic discussions about how we rely on others to produce and deliver our food to this day. What would happen these days if that system broke down (as we have since seen during COVID lockdown)?  

If you really want to go deep with your young reader, do some research into what is fact and what is fiction in the books. Like the fact that the family didn't actually have to leave their little house on the prairie because of where it was located--on the wrong side of the border from Indian territory. That makes for a good story, but the truth is much less dramatic and all about finances and the unsuccessful sale of the house in the Big Woods.

Considering this a middle grade series gets complicated the farther you get through the titles. By the end, Laura is an adult with adult concerns. But that doesn't mean young readers aren't still thrilled by the journey. I enjoyed this whole series as a child, read it multiple times, and would be remiss to leave it off my blog list of middle grade books I love. 

Middle Grade Books I Love: A Snicker of Magic

I’m not sure how I first ran across A Snicker of Magic in February of 2014, but I have been a devoted fan of Natalie Lloyd ever since. She’s adorable. Her stories are delightful. After reading a copy of A Snicker of Magic from my local library, I purchased a paperback of my own to sit on my shelves and read again someday. I don't do that often, but when I do, it's a book I tell everyone about. 

Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart. But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.

It always surprises me to discover how few readers/librarians/teachers know about Lloyd and her books. Maybe this can help correct that! Check her out on Facebook, at Amazon, or at your local library. 

And while her Problim Children books are a bit odd for me as an adult, kids adore the wacky adventures and love them. Hummingbird is a wonderful example for "lived-experience" of a disability (in this case, brittle bone disease/osteogenesis imperfecta) being represented in kidlit. I'm super-excited for her upcoming book, The Witching Wind. You can bet it will jump the TBR line the moment it comes out in September.

Check out Natalie Lloyd and discover which of her middle grade books speak to you and possibly hold a snicker of magic for your child. 

Middle Grade Books I Love: Charlotte's Web

Since Charlotte's Web was published in October of 1952, not many children make it through without reading this themselves or having it read to them. One day when I substituted in a first grade classroom, I was asked to read aloud from it after lunch. The part where Charlotte dies. Alone. Yes, I cried. Could barely make it through. The kids thought I was a drama-mama and very silly. Ah well. As a child, that part didn’t get me as much either. It reminded me of the time my mom tried to read me the end of Watership Down and just dissolved into sobbing. I was around 11, and she'd read it to me during one of our unending road trips during the summer. I thought she was a drama-mama then, but later I named an adopted stray cat El-ahrairah so . . . Anyhow.

Charlotte’s Web is listed as one of the top 100 most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

The day I checked, it was ranked #487 among the over 8 million books listed on Amazon. Still selling. So maybe I don't need to even mention it in this series. But it's definitely one of my favorites, so here we are.

Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.

White also wrote two other fabulous books for middle grade readers, but we'll get to those another time. I already have a guest blog in mind after seeing a post about an editor reading one of them to her daughter. 

That's what we do with books we love. Save our copies. Pass them on to our children. Read them aloud. Maybe we don't dissolve into tears. Maybe we do. 

El-ahrairah, El, or YaYa (as our toddler at the time called her) in 1991.
Yes, we have an affinity for tuxies. She was a stray found in the woods.