Banned Books Week Book Review and Giveaway: Little House in the Big Woods

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Banned Books Week Book Review and Giveaway: Little House in the Big Woods

October 3, 2012 at 8:00 pm · Filed under Book Reviews and tagged: Banned Book Week, Book Journey, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie

Book: Little House in the Big Woods

Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Little House in the Big Woods

Goodreads Summary:

Laura Ingalls and her family live deep in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Their log cabin is surrounded by miles of trees, and their closest neighbors are bears, wolves, and panthers. Daily chores keep Laura and her sister Mary busy, but they still find time to go exploring with their dog, Jack.

My Thoughts:

Refreshing. Simple. Nostalgic.

I remember LOVING the Little House on the Prairie books as a young girl. I yearned to be able to crawl into the story with Laura and Mary and Ma and Pa. Such simple times. I even remembered the tale of the “panther” as I was reading it.

I had reread one of them back when I was in my mid 20s and loved it just as much. Great books are always great books.

I read this one for Banned Books Week and STILL HAVE NOT CHANGED MY OPINION.

This set of books was challenged/banned because of racial comments toward Native Americans. I never found any in this particular book. There was only one reference to Native Americans on page 54 where it referred to Indians as wild. And well-they would have been considered wild by the pioneers because of the differences in their way of life.

So, in my opinion, this particular book SHOULD NOT have been challenged/banned.

Extra thoughts:

1. Laughed out loud at the story that Pa told about the BEAR in the road that he tried to frighten away. He even hit it over the head. Uh, it was a stump.

2. Dried apple pies anyone? Mmmm…….

3. Butchering a pig was actually a huge day of celebration with wait-the pig bladder being blown up like a balloon to toss AND the eating of the fried pig’s tail. Hmmm…maybe I could do without SOME of the simple things they enjoyed so much.

4. Favorite quote from the book-” Children should be seen and not heard”-Sometimes I think (as I’m walking through a store listening to 3 different temper tantrums happening around me and feeling like I need some advil) that this idea might serve us well every now and then.

So there you have it! I am still a fan of these books and always will be!

This blog post was my participation in the Banned Books Week Party hosted by Sheila over at her wonderfully fantastic blog Book Journey.

I am giving a copy of this book away so that you can share the joy of simple times with a child you love. Or maybe you just want the book for yourself.

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave me a comment with your memories of the Little House books. Or just leave me a comment saying how you really dig this blog!

HAPPY READING!

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27 Comments»

Sheila BookJourney wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 6:50 am

I had the whole set of these books when I was a tween… I sold them on a garage sale when I was living on my own and I regret it now. They were a boxed set.

Thanks so much for being a part of banned books week! You rock Shannon!

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:51 am

Sheila,

Thank you for hosting this wonderful thing and all the GREAT things you do!

Banned Book Week Day Five – 10+ Giveaways and posts | Book Journey wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:20 am

[...] from I Run, Teach, Read is posting about an old favorite of mine, Little House On The Prairie. Yup. A banned book. [...]

Laura Fabiani wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:39 am

This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I reread it recently with my own daughter who loved it too. She said, “Ew!” when we read about how they used the pig’s bladder as a balloon!

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:52 am

Laura,

I think that’s the same thing I did when I read that part!

Rebecca @ The Key to the Gate wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 9:43 am

I too loved this entire series. They were such wonderful stories with great messages. It’s hard to imagine them being banned or challenged. Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:42 pm

Rebecca,

You are so right-the messages were all about doing the right things and life lessons. Something everyone could use a little more of nowadays!

Jennifer Hartling wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 10:08 am

Mmmm, fried pig tail I think I’ll put that on my menu for this week!

I loved these books when I was a kid and I re-read them with my own children. They have definitely stood the test of time.

Good grief, the books that are banned are sometimes ridiculous!!

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:46 pm

LOL! I think that sometime in the future maybe all books will be banned because “something” in them is offensive to someone????? Your are right-GOOD GRIEF!

Petty Witter wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 10:14 am

Not a book I actually read until my 40′s, I do however have such fond childhood memories of the television series which I thought was inspiring as it was the only tv series i watched with a ‘disabled’ person in it.

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:42 pm

Petty,

I LOVED the TV series, too. But I’m drawing a blank on the disabled person. Who was that?

mamabunny13 wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 11:04 am

I would love to read this book to my mom. She would get a kick out of it
I love the peace signs!
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:43 pm

Mamabunny-

How old is your mom? Sometimes I think I would love to have lived back then. So. Simple.

Amanda Ray wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 11:10 am

I love the Little House on the Prairie books (and TV show). I have only read a few of the books (my aunt loaned them to me when I was younger) and would love to read them all. I can’t wait til my nieces are old enough to read them (they are only 4 and 5 now).

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:44 pm

Amanda,
I know your nieces will love them.Wasn’t the tv show just wonderful? I actually saw a rerun a couple of months ago and thought I would love to be able to buy a set of the movies.

Erin @ Quixotic Magpie wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 11:48 am

This series was my favorite as a kid! And to be honest I still read them out of nostalgia every winter. My favorite Little House memory: Christmas in the Big Woods, actually whenever they celebrated Christmas in these books.

shannonjoe wrote @ October 4, 2012 at 7:45 pm

Erin,

Christmas was the best in these books-they were so greatful for a candy cane or socks or a rag doll! Amazing!

Rachel wrote @ October 5, 2012 at 9:04 am

Seriously? This book was BANNED?!

shannonjoe wrote @ October 7, 2012 at 11:54 am

Rachel,

Makes no sense does it?

MonaG wrote @ October 5, 2012 at 4:13 pm

I read some of the Little House books when I was younger and loved them. I loved the TV show and still do. They’re very nostalgic and comforting. There are many episodes I haven’t watched and one day I hope to watch the entire series again.

I’m hoping to collect the series, both books and TV show, for my daughter. Maybe she’ll like them as much as I did. I can’t imagine anything offensive in them. They were wholesome entertainment depicting good values,much like Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, another favorite. Maybe this is why I’m drawn to Amish fiction as well.

These days when I see Melissa Gilbert in anything, most recently Dancing With The Stars, I still view her as “half-pint.”

Thanks for the memories and the giveaway

shannonjoe wrote @ October 7, 2012 at 11:55 am

Mona,

I’m sure your daughter will love them, too. You are right when you used the word “wholesome” to describe them-such great lessons taught! Half-pint sure was spunky, wasn’t she??

Mary Preston wrote @ October 6, 2012 at 3:54 am

It’s been quite a while since I read any of the “Little House” books. I loved them all.

shannonjoe wrote @ October 7, 2012 at 11:53 am

Mary-

They are just cozy, comforting, and simple!

Candace wrote @ October 6, 2012 at 11:01 am

I loved the Little House books when I was a kid. We lived in SD so we visited one of their homesteads several times and it was really awesome. I haven’t yet picked the books up for my daughter but thanks for the reminder that I must do so! I remember the feeling I had when reading them, like I traveled back in time or something.

shannonjoe wrote @ October 7, 2012 at 11:53 am

Candace-

WOW! I would love to visit one of their homesteads-hmmm….maybe that should go on my bucket list!

Kathy’s Chronicles wrote @ October 16, 2012 at 8:45 pm

We’re reading Little House in the Big Woods right now. My kids love to hear the stories, it even inspired us to make butter. : )

shannonjoe wrote @ October 16, 2012 at 8:55 pm

Kathy-

Those books are GRAND! It makes me want to build a cabin in the woods and eat dinner by firelight! Sometimes!

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