Did You Know? The Little House Books

This week's collection of facts is about the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Let's see what info we were able to dig up!

Did You Know?

• Although based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's life, the Little House books are not strictly autobiographical? They're usually classified as fiction.
• The second book in the series, Farmer Boy, focused on the childhood of Laura's future husband, Almanzo Wilder?
• In Little House in the Big Woods Laura is five years old, but the events in the book actually took place when she was three? The publisher had her make the age change because it was felt that a three year old wouldn't remember events so clearly.
• There were eight Little House books published during Wilder's lifetime? Four other books were published posthumously between 1962 and 2006.
• Although the TV series depicted the Ingalls living there for most of their lives, Walnut Grove, Minnesota was not mentioned by name in the books? The Ingalls only lived there for a few years.
• Laura's daughter, Rose, was an accomplished writer, and encouraged her mother to begin writing?
• Little House in the Big Woods, the first book in the Little House series, was published when Wilder was 64? Gives all of us late bloomers hope, doesn't it?
• Laura researched her books thoroughly to make them as historically accurate as possible?
• Laura began teaching just before she turned 17, and later admitted that she began teaching only to help support her family?
• The Wilders had no grandchildren, so there are no direct descendants of Laura Ingalls Wilder?
• Laura used to say that she wanted to live to be 90? She died three days after her 90th birthday, in 1957. Almonzo died in 1949 at the age of 92.

I'd like to end this weeks Did You Know? with one of my favorite moments from the Little House on the Prairie television series. Nellie has been faking being paralyzed and making Laura feel guilty. Laura discovers this and takes Nellie out for a spin in her wheelchair. A little extreme, perhaps, but funny!

Monday Interview Series: Laura Ingalls

This week's interview is with that darling child of the frontier, Laura Ingalls. Let's hear what Laura's got to say.

Greg: Welcome, Laura. It's really great to have you here.

Laura: Thank you for inviting me. I haven't seen this many trees since we moved away from the big woods.

Greg: Why don't you tell us a little bit about that, Laura.

Laura: Why sure. I was born in the big woods, in Wisconsin. Pa and Ma and Mary and me were real happy there. We had the best of times, working on the farm, and sugaring off--that's making maple syrup iffin' ya didn't know. Sometimes, after sugaring there'd be a dance. I loved the dances. Pa would play his fiddle, and we had a grand time.

Winters were cold, but wonderful. At night we'd sit by the fire and listen to Pa play his fiddle. Mary and I would dance with Ma and clap our hands. Sometimes I'd just sit quiet and listen. I could listen to Pa play for days on end, if his arms would let him.

Greg: Sounds lovely. How did you come to leave Wisconsin?

Laura: Pa got word that there was land opening up in Kansas. He sold our little house in the big woods, bought a covered wagon, and took us lock, stock and barrel to Kansas. Funny thing, he never told us it was still technically Indian Territory. I suppose he didn't want to worry us. Ma was pretty surprised. She wasn't partial to Indians, I've since found out.

Pa built the most lovely little house on that ol' prairie, but even Pa couldn't do it by himself. Our new neighbor, Mr. Edwards, helped him some. Pa put in the floor, put on a roof, and dug the well all by himself, though. He was just the strongest, handsomest and smartest man in the whole Kansas territory was Pa.


Greg: So everything was perfect, I take it.


Laura: Well, no. We had our share of trouble. There was the fever, for one. Ma called it fever 'n' ague. It nearly done us all in. Ma says we got it from eating watermelon, although that never made much sense to me.


Once we were better, Mr. Edwards brought us Christmas presents from Independence. That sure was a nice Christmas, right after being so sick and all. We were happy there, but we had to move again on account of our land really still belonged to the Indians and the army was gonna make us leave.


Greg: Oh dear, so it was on the road again, was it? Where did you wind up next?