Title: Little House on Rocky Ridge
Author: Roger Lea MacBride
Series: The Rose Years, book 1 (Little House sequel)
Major Themes: Pioneers, Laura Ingalls Wilder, North Dakota, Missouri
Synopsis: When they couldn’t make a living in North Dakota, Rose and her family traveled to Missouri in a covered wagon to begin a new life.
What happened to Laura Ingalls Wilder after the events she wrote about in The First Four Years? Several years ago, we read On the Way Home, Laura’s journal of the trip she, her husband, and her daughter Rose took when they left North Dakota and moved to Missouri. In the last few weeks, I read Little House on Rocky Ridge aloud. It retells Laura’s account as a story from Rose’s perspective.
Publisher’s description:
Meet Rose Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter, and the last of the Little House girls.
Rose and her parents, Laura and Almanzo, say good-bye to Ma and Pa Ingalls and Laura’s sisters. In a covered wagon containing all their possessions, they make their way across the drought-stricken Midwest to the lush green valleys of southern Missouri. The journey is long and not always easy, but at the end is the promise of a new home and a new life for the Wilders.
My thoughts:
Little House on Rocky Ridge is not as good as the Little House books written by Laura. However, it does help answer the questions children naturally have about “What happened next?” I enjoyed seeing how Roger Lea MacBride took the brief diary entries that Laura wrote and fleshed them out into an engaging story. I also found it interesting to see which of my children were most interested in this book. My 9-year-old daughter chose it, but the 4-year-old seemed to be the most excited about reading it each day! The boys, ages 12 and 14, were not that interested. So, I would say that this book is great for young girls who love gentle stories without a lot of drama. It is simply the story of a family making a new life for themselves.
WARNING: Chapter 5: Gosh. Chapter 7: By golly, a child tells a lie. Chapter 8: Gosh. Chapter 11: Golly twice. Chapter 14: By George. Chapter 18: What in tarnation. Chapter 20: Gee willikins, golly. Chapter 31: Rabbit killed for meat. Chapter 35: Gosh.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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