The Little House Books

These books are a treasure trove that will surely delight all Little House fans everywhere! Rich in background information and bursting at the seams with trivia and tidbits, Calvert's Reading Guides will turn the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder into an educational gold mine for your family.

Volume l covers books l-4 (Big Woods through Farmer Boy) and is recommended for ages 6-8. Volume 2 picks up with Shores of Silver Lake and goes to The First Four Years; suggested ages are 9-11. These could easily stretch to cover two years of study. While the guides are written directly to the student-a nice touch-Calvert urges parents to be a vital part of the study. Indeed, these would make wonderful additions to your family read-aloud time.

It's important to note here that there are no specific assignments included in these guides. Although the author might make a suggestion or two ("You might have fun making up your own story . . . ") there are no organized vocabulary lists or tests.

Each new book is introduced in the reading guides with chapter summaries as well as a discussion of the themes to be aware of in that particular book.

The guides are organized into lessons which cover about 50 pages of reading from the books themselves. Gray boxes in the margins of the Calvert guides direct the reader to the page numbers in the Little House book being discussed. Comprehension questions, vocabulary enrichment, elements of literature, and historical background all serve to deepen the reading experience. In addition, there are several musical selections and recipes from the Little House Songbook and Cookbook.

The author of the guides, Calvert teacher Ann W. Dahl, has really done her homework in ferreting out Wilder lore from many different sources. The guides are illustrated not only by the Garth Williams drawings that we are all familiar with, but also with drawings from the original illustrator, Helen Sewell. What a difference in styles!

Calvert's guides offer you and your family a wonderful opportunity to meet the Wilders.

--Renee Mathis