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Laura Ingalls Wilder

Born

in Pepin County, Wisconsin, The United States

February 07, 1867

Died

February 10, 1957

Website

https://www.lauraingallswilder.us/

Genre

Children's Books

Influences

own experience, her daughter Rose Wilder Lane

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Laura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for h Laura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for her eight-volume record of pioneer life, a series that has since been translated into over forty languages.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit. ...more

Combine Editions
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books

Average rating: 4.21 · 1,405,746 ratings · 41,007 reviews · 489 distinct works • Similar authors

	Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #3) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.21 avg rating — 305,864 ratings — published 1935 — 174 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.21 avg rating — 291,782 ratings — published 1932 — 1698 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Little House Collection (Little House, #1-9) 4.36 avg rating — 158,159 ratings — published 1971 — 59 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House, #4) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.23 avg rating — 109,647 ratings — published 1937 — 38 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Town on the Prairie (Little House, #7) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.20 avg rating — 95,317 ratings — published 1941 — 192 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Long Winter (Little House, #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.18 avg rating — 94,565 ratings — published 1940 — 217 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House, #5) 4.18 avg rating — 84,588 ratings — published 1939 — 204 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	These Happy Golden Years (Little House, #8) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.22 avg rating — 80,775 ratings — published 1943 — 178 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Farmer Boy (Little House, #2) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 4.10 avg rating — 77,153 ratings — published 1933 — 216 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The First Four Years (Little House, #9) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator) 3.87 avg rating — 45,998 ratings — published 1971 — 131 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Laura Ingalls Wilder…

Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House (9 books)
by

Laura Ingalls Wilder,

Garth Williams (Illustrator)

4.21 avg rating — 1,349,483 ratings

Unsere kleine Farm (8 books)
by

Laura Ingalls Wilder,

Garth Williams (Illustrator)

4.20 avg rating — 1,108,442 ratings

小木屋系列　漢聲中譯本 (16 books)
by

Laura Ingalls Wilder,

姜慶堯 (translator)

4.17 avg rating — 337,815 ratings

My First Little House Books (24 books)
by

Laura Ingalls Wilder,

Doris Ettlinger (Illustrator)

4.22 avg rating — 14,405 ratings

Pioneer Girl Project (4 books)
by

Laura Ingalls Wilder,

Nancy Tystad Koupal (Editor)

4.08 avg rating — 8,890 ratings

More series by Laura Ingalls Wilder…

This weekend, take some time and catch up with the latest in the book world! Let's begin with the books that trended this week on Goodreads. These...

Polls

What frequently challenged or banned book (or book about censorship) for children and/or young adults should we read in January and February 2015?

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

30 votes, 29.7%

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff

28 votes, 27.7%

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

19 votes, 18.8%

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

17 votes, 16.8%

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher

7 votes, 6.9%

101 total votes

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