The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. They settle into a house made of sod on the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds them a sturdier house, with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and Mary go to school, help with the chores around the house, and fish in the creek. Pa's fiddle lulls them all to sleep at the end of the day. But then disaster strikes--on top of a terrible blizzard, a grasshopper infestation devours their wheat crop. Now the family must work harder than ever to overcome these challenges.

I continue to be amazed that anyone survived life in these conditions, and I continue to be amazed at some of the choices Pa makes. Between the plague of grasshoppers and the dozen blizzards before Christmas, this family defines the “pioneer spirit.” Pa’s decision to borrow against a future wheat crop doesn’t seem wise, but it isn’t even the first questionable thing he’s done in this series. I liked reading about Ma and the two young girls working together to take care of things while Pa was away for months at a time and Laura learning to read. While some aspects of the stories seem to be the same from book to book, the setting and hardships tend to change drastically, keeping the series fresh so far.

As before, my enjoyment of the book was greatly enhanced by the audiobook narrator, Cherry Jones, who does a fantastic job, and being able to hear Pa’s fiddle, thanks to Paul Woodiel. If you’ve ever considered reading this series, or have already read it and have occasion to listen to the audiobooks, I say do it! ( )

After listening to the first book of the little house series I couldn't resist myself to finish the series as soon as possible so that I know what happened to Laura and his family. I didn't read any book before finishing this series. ( )

Is this Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best book? No, that’s Farmer Boy. #Team Snacks. But it is one of my favorites.

Wow - How did I not remember how intense this book is? Though my kids are now past the age to be enthralled by this series of children's books, I decided to re-read some of them. This family overcame SO many hardships. It was an enjoyable read, reminding me of how much easier life is now in so many ways but also of how grateful people were for the simplest of gifts when hardships abounded. ( )