Grassland Town (Up and Down) (Little Wood House Series 12)

Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: There is an elderly woman who began writing novels at the age of sixty-five and continued until she was seventy-five, writing a total of nine books. She did not have a high level of education or rigorous writing training. These nine novels did not have suspenseful or intricate plots, nor were they written in elegant prose. However, the nine books written by this elderly woman have become classic masterpieces in world children's literature. In all parts of the world, countless children have been nourished with love and gained the courage to face the future after reading this series of books. For many children, this series has even become an indispensable guide and encouragement during their growth. This series of books is the "Little House" series you are holding in your hands; this lovable elderly woman is the author of this book—Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura was born in Wisconsin, the central part of the United States. At that time, the American Civil War had just ended, and a wave of westward expansion was sweeping across the country. Laura began migrating with her parents at the age of two. Before she turned thirteen, she had already been to the vast forests of Wisconsin, the Great Plains of Kansas, the banks of the Maquoketa River in Warner Forest, Minnesota, the town of Pepin in Iowa, and the Territory of Dakota. They lived in log cabins and also in dugouts under the terraces. Laura was the second child in her family, with an older sister named Mary, and younger sisters Grace and Carrie, as well as a younger brother named Frederick. Mary lost her sight at the age of fourteen after contracting scarlet fever, and Frederick died at the age of nine. The misfortunes of her sister and brother, along with the hardships of settling in a new home, helped Laura grow from a naive little girl into a strong and brave teenager. At the age of sixteen, to help Mary attend the expensive school for the blind, she left home alone to teach. At the same time, she met a steady farm boy named Almanzo Wilder. At the age of eighteen, Laura married Almanzo Wilder, who was ten years older than her, and later gave birth to a daughter named Rose. Laura and Almanzo loved each other very much, but their early married life was very difficult. They worked together and, after years of struggle, their life gradually improved. Later, they settled in Missouri and built a large house with ten rooms on their farm. By then, Laura's daughter Rose had grown up, gotten married, and become a very accomplished journalist. Rose encouraged Laura to write about their pioneer life. They read many pioneer literature works together and discussed writing techniques. Laura began writing novels at the age of sixty-five, and in ten years, she wrote nine books in the "Little House" series. These nine novels are "Little House in the Big Woods," "Little House on the Prairie," "Farmer Boy," "On the Banks of Plum Creek," "By the Shores of Silver Lake," "The Long Winter," "Little Town on the Prairie," "The First Four Years," and "The Joyful Golden Years." Laura's novels were very popular after they were published. By the time she was eighty-seven, the "Little House" series had been translated into multiple languages and published worldwide. In 1957, Laura died on her farm in Missouri at the age of ninety. The "Little House" series can be said to be an autobiography of Laura's early life, with the protagonist Laura embodying the real Laura. Laura begins her story in her birthplace—the vast forests of Wisconsin—and uses "Little House in the Big Woods" as the prelude to this series. In this book, Laura observes the little details of life through the innocent eyes of a young girl. The white-tailed deer, the big bear, the snow of winter, and the green buds on the trees in spring, as well as the warm glow of the fireplace in the cabin, the delicious treats her mother made, and her father's melodious piano music, are all sweet memories of Laura's childhood. The second book, "Little House on the Prairie," is the most famous and representative work in the series. It describes Laura's family leaving the vast forests of Wisconsin and migrating to the Great Plains of Kansas in a covered wagon, which is a typical portrayal of American westward settlers at that time. During this move, Laura's family narrowly escaped the dangers of flooding rivers and, after arriving in the prairie, they also encountered Native Americans, were surrounded by wolves, faced prairie fires, and suffered from heat exhaustion. In the end, they still lived in the log cabin her father built and spent a sweet time on the prairie, surviving by hunting. After "The Long Winter," the difficulties gradually faded, and Laura's family slowly entered a better phase of life. As the tide of settlers surged, the small town near Silver Lake gradually prospered, forming the town of De Smet. Laura wrote about this period in the seventh book, "Little Town on the Prairie." In "Little Town on the Prairie," Laura is fifteen years old. She makes friends with other girls and boys at school, begins to pay attention to her appearance, and realizes the importance of self-control due to the sensitivity and rebelliousness of her teenage years. At the same time, her parents saved enough money to send Mary to a school for the blind. Mary's departure deepened the sisterly bond, and Laura worked hard to study and earn money to help Mary stay in school, eventually becoming a qualified teacher. At the end of the story, Laura unexpectedly gets a teaching job and prepares to leave home. The last two books in the "Little House" series are "The Joyful Golden Years" and "The First Four Years." "The Joyful Golden Years" describes Laura's first experience of teaching alone outside her home. At this time, Almanzo was already pursuing Laura, driving a carriage to pick her up from school every week and taking her back, gradually deepening their subtle feelings. At the end of the story, Laura and Almanzo got married, and she truly left her parents to start a new chapter of life with Almanzo. "The First Four Years" is a manuscript discovered after Laura's death. It describes the details of Laura and Almanzo's life in the first four years of their marriage. During these four years, Laura and Almanzo faced many hardships—house fires, droughts, falling ill together, and the death of their son. The only comfort was the healthy growth of their daughter, Rose. However, Laura and Almanzo were not defeated by one challenge after another. With their deep love as their support, they remained hopeful and courageous, facing the future and building their own home. From a pioneer girl to a world-famous children's literature author, Laura's life story is full of twists and turns. The "Little House" series fully embodies the spirit of perseverance in westward expansion. Laura, with her delicate and sincere writing style, vividly portrays the growth of a girl, as well as the love between parents and siblings, the subtle and enduring love between her and Almanzo, and the diligence, courage, and respect for nature of people in the pioneer era. The value of the "Little House" series lies in the fact that it not only records the history of American westward expansion but also records personal growth. In fact, it wasn't just Laura who lived through the pioneer era; our ancestors also used their hands and sweat to carve out a beautiful home and passed it down to their descendants. When we look back at their lives, we see how they tilled the land, hunted, sewed, built houses, and dug wells—endless tests of life that tempered people's wisdom and made them more appreciative and grateful. The "Little House" series doesn't have many plots, but it is a wonderful, enjoyable, and enduring classic in world children's literature. The text is full of wit, covering many interests of teenagers such as nature, adventure, animals, family, and growth, which can greatly attract young readers and provide them with valuable reading material for their pursuit of knowledge and growth. Today, we publish the "Little House" series, hoping that readers can, through Laura's growth, re-examine their relationship with their family and nature. We also hope that readers can draw inspiration from this difficult pioneer journey and, in this modern society of material excess and distant relationships, rediscover simplicity, courage, resilience, and love!