Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there are detailed descriptions of animal slaughter in this book. Children are also spanked when they misbehave, and one boy is stung by hundreds of yellow jackets.
Families can talk about pioneer life and how they survived. Why was hunting necessary? How did the Ingalls entertain themselves without TV and other modern distractions? How do you think you'd fare without technology?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Terreece Clarke
LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS is a classic reborn with great illustrations by Garth Williams. New readers and those familiar with Laura Ingalls and her family will love following along as Laura takes them through a year in the life of the little family of pioneers.
This story is a straightforward, fun read with a child's look into the life of a pioneer. It's great to see Laura and her sisters take simple pleasure in playing with their dolls, making homemade goodies, and listening to their father's stories.
From The Book
Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs.
The great, dark trees of the Big Woods stood all around the house, and beyond them were more trees. As far as a man could go to the north in a day, or a week, or a whole month, there was nothing but woods.
Plot Summary:
Laura Ingalls is a kid who loves to help her family, is afraid of wolves, and hates her "boring" brown hair. She lives in a little house in the big woods where she and her siblings work hard at their many chores, mind their ma and pa, go to school all in one room, and have lots of frontier adventures.
Related Books:
Other Books by This Author:
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
A Little House Birthday
More Frontier Tales:
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
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Sexual Content |
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ViolenceScenes where a gun is used or visible, typical for the time and location. Laura describes the preparation and slaughter of farm animals: skinning, cooking, etc. There are some stories of wild animal attacks. Children are spanked. A boy is stung by hundreds of yellow jackets. |
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Language |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorThe story is heavy on lessons for kids on right from wrong and the value of hard work. An African American man is called a "darkey" in a song. |
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Commercialism |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAdult men smoke pipes, typical for the period. |
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