Laura Ingalls Wilder started writing
her series of books in 1932. Laura was 63 when she started writing her books.
When Laura was in her fifties she started writing down her childhood memories
with the help of her daughter, Rose. Rose helped Laura by telling her to write
about her life. Rose was so interested in what her mother’s stories were
about she wanted other children and grown-ups to enjoy her mother’s stories
just like Rose did. When Laura was writing her books, she had no idea she
was writing history. She had no idea her books and herself would be a huge
success in the future. Laura preserved her father’s memories by remembering
his fun and exciting memories. Laura did this so her name’s Ingalls and Wilder
could go on forever in the future and more.
Laura was writing during the Great Depression. Her first
manuscript was called Pioneer Girl. Harper and Brothers were the publishers
of Laura’s books. They published Laura’s first book, Little House in the
Big Woods. Helen Moore Sewell was the illustrator of The Little House books.
Another illustrator, Mildred Boyle, was chosen to help Helen Sewell.
In 1932 Little House in the Big Woods was published. Her next book, Farmer
Boy, was published in 1933. Little House on the Prairie was published in
1935. On the Banks of Plum Creek was published in 1937, By the Shores of
Silver Lake was published in 1939, The Long Winter was published in 1940,
Little Town on the Prairie was published in 1941, These Happy Golden Years
was published in 1943 and The First Four Years was published in 1971. The
last five books that Laura wrote were named Newbery Honor books.
After Laura made all the Little House books,
Harper and Brothers thought about reissuing her books to new illustrations.
The person that Harper and Brothers chose was Garth Williams. Garth Williams
was the illustrator of Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web. The Little House
series have been translated into several languages. Some languages are Japanese,
Swahili, Dutch, and Arabic. Many people have written articles and newspapers
about Laura Wilder.Thousands of people have written to Laura at the last
house Laura lived. A lot of people still remember her and her wonderful books.
People of all ages read Laura’s books. Laura’s books are not autobiographies,
they are fiction. Her books are fiction because she writes about herself
but she is very old, writing her memories when she was young. A lot of people
visit Laura’s sites to learn about her and her books. Her books tell a lot
about herself and the pioneer way of life and if you like stories about the
past, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books are great to read.