Rereading Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the PrairieI read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was a little girl, and, like most kids my age, I loved it.

I devoured the whole series, and also enjoyed the television series of the time.

Years later, my own son saw it in a bookstore back on a visit to New York and asked about it. Since we always choose books to read aloud and discuss, this seemed the perfect opportunity to reread an old childhood favorite.

It’s been lots of fun to reread this childhood favorite decades later. Since this was some of my earliest reading, I remember the writing as far more impressive than it actually is. But even going back to read it as an adult with a more critical eye, I still can’t help but  find it the perfect children’s book.

It’s filled with a sharp eye for detail, beautiful description for a time long past, adventure, danger and simple moments spent with family. I see how it sparks the imagination of my own son, and how he asks questions about life at the time.

My son would like us to read the other books of the series, and it gives me a great excuse to go back and reread those, too. Always nice to revisit the old favorites from childhood.

And you, readers? Have you gone back to revisit old childhood favorites, either with your own children or on your own? Have your impressions changed over time?

5 Comments

  1. Giovannoni Claudine on June 4, 2016 at 5:02 pm

    I keep always on eye on my youth readings… The Lord of the ring was in my hands 5 times (the whole story, inclusive the Silmarillion)… Some novels you really can’t forget on a drawer, do you? :-)claudine

    • kimberlysullivan on June 7, 2016 at 8:17 am

      Too true. So many of the stories we read when we were younger stay with us. Ha, my husband is just like you with the Lord of the Ring series!

  2. evelyneholingue on June 5, 2016 at 6:28 pm

    I have re-read The Famous Five and it’s amazing to relive the emotions I felt as a young reader. The sense of adventure and independence are still there. Even as we become more sophisticated readers, we keep a special place in our hearts for these books that opened the door to so many more books. Lovely post, Kimberly.
    I also loved La Petite Maison dans la Prairie.

    • kimberlysullivan on June 7, 2016 at 8:20 am

      You’re much more of an expert in this area than I, Evelyne, since you follow the trends of children’s and YA and know much more about the genre. But you’re right that it’s a sense of adventure and independence when reading these books as children, and perhaps opening our minds to new worlds for the first time when we’re so young. I suppose that’s why it’s so fun to go back and revisit!

      • evelyneholingue on June 7, 2016 at 11:54 pm

        Yes! I think this is returning to our young selves that is fun. And also sometimes a little sad, too, when we realize that we’ve lost a little bit of this magical feeling when everything was new and adventurous.

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