Flashback time! My mom may have bought me the entire Little House series before I was born (I think? It’s just been in my room for a very loooong time) but this summer I finally read them. Read read them, not skimmed. So now I’m sharing the top 5.

1. Little House on the Prarie: When I think of Little House on the Prarie, I think of this. Not just the cover though that’s a big part but just the adventures they go on as well as the trials from flooding to wild animals to the difficulties of creating their own log cabin. It’s rustic and really a whole different lifestyle from now and Wilder really brings you back to the time period.

2. The Long Winter: This felt like a more action-oriented plot rather than just a series of stories from the location they are settled in at the moment. The story takes a section of time, just one winter, aka the long winter where the harsh weather keeps the town inside for months to near starvation. Though you know it will end with them all living, Wilder does keep you on the edge of your seat as things get more dire. Plus seeing Alamazo save the day is just awesome.

3. On the Banks of Plum Creek: This was just fun as it has some of Wilder’s more memorable memories like Pa getting lost in the blizzard, the introduction of boastful Nellie Olsen and Laura’s revenge and Laura going to school for the first time.

4. These Happy Golden Years: This one is the most romantic. . . Well not really. It’s sort of a historical time capsule showing the differences in courting between Laura and Alamazo which seems to be filled with silent communication and carriage rides. Really, Laura doesn’t even realize her feelings of jealousy towards Nellie and then the marriage proposal just happens. I don’t know, I guess that’s just how things were back then. But it’s interesting to see the differences in time.

5. Farmer Boy: I’ll admit some parts of this are boring. So much farming information but it gives a comprehensive overview of all the work that goes toward farming, raising cattle, and ice-block transportation. It shows how boys were raised back then and the expectations for them which Wilder makes clear that working from the land is the best, more honest work than getting educated for banking. Plus it had a patriotic country-fair Fourth of July that sounded such fun to be there. Truly a forgotten time period.