We're reading the Little House books to our 4-year-old son, and this one has been my favorite so far. We did have to do a bit of explaining when the school teacher whipped the older boys with the bull whip, and about why kids might deceive their parents by covering up a black mark on the wall with a wallpaper scrap. We had to explain, too, why it was so important for the family to work together--the daily chores, the big projects such as planting or harvesting, getting up without complaint in the wee hours of the morning to save the tiny corn stalks from a late freeze. In this story of Almanzo's growing independence, I was reminded that chores and adult work can be something kids look forward to, a privilege instead of drudgery. I've seen a glimpse of this in our house lately as our kids eagerly pull up chairs to the counter to make our homemade bread. (And we've even started calling store-bought bread "boughten bread.")
Overall, we loved the glimpse into the incredibly busy and work-filled life of the Wilder family. That Ma Wilder puts me to shame.
