Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-6. This addition to the growing number of biographies about a beloved children's writer recounts the major events from Wilder's childhood and marriage that are covered in the Little House books. Wadsworth also describes Wilder's early attempts at writing for newspapers and magazines and her later successes creating fictionalized stories based on her childhood experiences. The author's research is solid and thoroughly noted, but she breaks no new ground. Reference to William Holtz's Ghost in the Little House (1993), which theorizes about daughter Rose's contribution to the series, is confined to a vague comment about Rose's editorial help that will pass unnoticed by most readers. In fact, Wadsworth tries so hard to present only positive information that Wilder and her daughter come off as bland personalities rather than the spirited competitors revealed by their own correspondence. The best title for the middle grades is William Anderson's Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography (1992). Source notes; bibliography; list of Little House sites. --Kay Weisman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8This readable biography clarifies the chronology of events that were described in the "Little House" books and gives additional information about the family and Wilder's adult life that was not covered in the series. Wadsworth quotes from correspondences between mother and daughter to support the view that Wilder wrote drafts and sought and accepted help from her daughter, Rose, an accomplished writer, in forming the final manuscripts. The book is illustrated with reprints of Garth Williams's illustrations for the original books, family photographs, and historical photographs depicting the times and places the family lived. Source notes are appended. The book will primarily appeal to readers who have enjoyed the "Little House" books. It is shorter but similar in approach to Laura Ingalls Wilder (HarperCollins, 1992) written by long-time Ingalls Wilder researcher, William Anderson. Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Eriksson's The World of Little House (HarperCollins, 1996) is an attractive alternative for readers who are just beginning the series.Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Black-and-white photographs of Wilder and her family, interspersed with Garth Williams's familiar artwork from the Little House books, illustrate this serviceable biography. Although the first chapters mostly summarize events from Wilder's novels, the second half of the volume draws from additional primary source materials to chronicle Laura's later years. A list of historical sites is appended. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
How can a biographer summarize the early life of Laura Ingalls Wilder without seeming entirely derivative of Laura's own work? Although the first chapters read like summaries of the Little House books, Wadsworth (John Burroughs, The Sage of Slabsides, p. 229, etc.) rises to the challenge, providing background on Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and covering one of the saddest periods in the family's history (which Laura omitted), the death of their nine-month-old baby boy. Wadsworth then chronicles Laura and Almanzo's move to Missouri with their daughter, Rose; the death of their infant son; Rose's far-flung journalistic triumphs; and the close collaboration of mother and daughter, beginning when Laura was 63, that resulted in the original series of books. The use of black-and-white archival photographs and drawings from the series reinforces the notion that a biographer cannot separate most of Laura's life from the stories Laura told--and told better. Further, while Laura is a product of her times, reflected in her views of the Osage Indians (performing ``war chants'' nearby), Wadsworth never shows her as such, lodging herself unwaveringly in Laura's perspective and preserving the image of the harmless, hardworking pioneer to the last. (bibliography, index). (Biography. 8-12)
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