Author
Laura Ingalls Wilder
5 books here
The Long Winter
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 740L · 2003
The most gripping book in the series—a taut survival narrative that doesn't sentimentalize hardship, and kids emerge understanding both pioneer resourcefulness and genuine historical vulnerability.
On the Banks of Plum Creek
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 730L · 2021
The richest prairie novel for this age — Wilder's precise, unsentimental observation of frontier life and ecology rewards careful readers and stays vivid across rereads.
Little Town on the Prairie
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 770L · 2013
Slower and less eventful than earlier books in the series, but the real draw — Laura's interior life, her growing autonomy, and the texture of small-town frontier life — makes it worth the patience.
By the Shores of Silver Lake
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 770L · 2016
Dense historical immersion and Laura's quiet maturation make this the turning point in the series—slower paced than earlier books, but rich enough to reward sustained attention.
These Happy Golden Years
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 770L · 2021
The most mature Little House book—Laura's romantic agency and economic independence are front-and-center, and the historical detail is unsentimental enough to feel real.