On Silver Lake Shore (Upside Down) (Little Cabin Series)

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 adorned with elegant prose. However, the nine books written by this elderly woman have become classic masterpieces of 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. For many children, this series has even become an indispensable guide and encouragement during their growth. This series, the "Little House" series of novels, is the work of this lovable elderly woman—the author, Laura Ingalls Wilder (Laura Ingalls Wilder). Laura was born in the central part of the United States, in Wisconsin. At that time, the American Civil War had just ended, and a wave of westward expansion was sweeping across the country. Laura began moving with her parents at the age of two. Before she turned thirteen, she had been to the vast forests of Wisconsin, the great plains of Kansas, the banks of the Maquoketa River in Warner Forest in Minnesota, the town of Pepin in Iowa, and the Territory of Dakota. They had lived in log cabins and also in dugouts under the terraces. Laura was the second child in the family, with an older sister, Mary, and younger sisters, Laura, Grace, and a brother, 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, combined with the hardships of settling a new home, helped Laura grow from a naive little girl into a strong and brave young woman. At the age of sixteen, to help Mary attend the expensive school for the blind, Laura left home alone to teach. At the same time, she met a steady farm boy—Almanzo Wilder. At the age of eighteen, Laura married Almanzo Wilder, who was ten years older than her, and later they had 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 over a decade, she wrote nine "Little House" series novels. 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 from the time of their publication. 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 Rocky Ridge 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 work. In this book, Laura observes the little details of life through the innocent eyes of a young girl. The moose and black bears in the big woods, the snow of winter, the green buds of spring trees, 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 the American westward settlers of that time. This move was full of danger. Laura's family crossed flooded rivers and, after arriving in the prairie, they also encountered Native Americans, were surrounded by wolves, faced prairie fires, and suffered from heat exhaustion. However, in the end, they still moved into the log cabin her father built and spent a sweet time on the prairie living off hunting. The third book, "Farmer Boy," features Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder. Almanzo was a farm boy from New York. In the book, Laura vividly describes Almanzo's experience of attending school in the sky and also his pride when he received a horse that belonged to him and that he had tamed himself. Additionally, Laura also expresses her views on the value of money through the account of Almanzo's growth—fifty cents was equal to working many hours in a potato field for Almanzo. The fourth book, "On the Banks of Plum Creek," describes Laura's family leaving the prairie and traveling through Missouri and Iowa to Minnesota, where they settled by the Maquoketa River. During their time on the banks of the Maquoketa River, Laura's family lived in a dugout, and all of her father's crops were eaten by locusts, leaving the family in dire straits. Eventually, her father had to leave for work in the East. At this point, Laura was already eight years old, so the perspective of the narrative changes as Laura grows, making the challenges of life and the strength of the family more concrete in her eyes. Additionally, Laura and Mary began attending school, and their relationships expanded from the family to the outside world. The fifth book, "By the Shores of Silver Lake," tells the story of Laura's family leaving the banks of the Maquoketa River and traveling to the shores of Silver Lake in the Territory of Dakota. From the banks of the Maquoketa River to Silver Lake, Laura traveled not by covered wagon but by train, which was her first time riding a train. At that time, Laura was almost thirteen, and since Mary was blind, Laura's personality had changed noticeably. She no longer had a sister to rely on, nor the right to be willful and unruly, so Laura had a deeper understanding of growing up and learned to face things she did not like but had to do. Additionally, for the whole family, life on Silver Lake brought them new hope—her father could apply for a hundred and sixty-acre parcel of land here. The sixth book, "The Long Winter." Just after Laura's father applied for land on Silver Lake and built a log cabin, a terrible blizzard came. At that time, Laura's family lived in a small town not far from Silver Lake, and the blizzard trapped the town, cutting off all communication for seven months. During these seven months, Laura's family had no food and could only survive on a little cornmeal porridge; they had no firewood and had to burn hay to stay warm. They struggled every day to stay alive, and her father even froze his hands while twisting hay bales, making it impossible for him to play the violin. This time, the solution to their problems came from two boys in the town. They risked freezing to death and getting lost while riding out of town to bring back food. One of the boys was Almanzo. After "The Long Winter," the difficulties gradually faded, and Laura's family gradually entered a better path. As the tide of settlers surged, the small town near Silver Lake gradually prospered, forming the town of De Smet. The life in the town is described in the seventh book, "Little Town on the Prairie." In "Little Town on the Prairie," Laura is fifteen years old, and she makes friends with other girls and boys at school and begins to pay attention to her appearance. The sensitivity and rebelliousness of adolescence make her realize the importance of self-control. At the same time, her parents saved enough money to send Mary to the 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 earning a teaching certificate. At the end of the story, Laura unexpectedly gets a teaching job and prepares to leave home. The last two books of 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, and he drove a carriage to pick Laura up from school every week and take her back, gradually deepening their subtle feelings. At the end of the story, Laura and Almanzo got married, and she truly left her parents' home and entered a new stage of life with Almanzo. "The First Four Years" is a manuscript discovered after Laura's death. This manuscript describes the little details of Laura and Almanzo's life in the first four years of their marriage. During these four years, Laura and Almanzo's life was very hard. They suffered the destruction of their house, a drought, both falling ill, 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 after another. With their deep love as their support, they still faced the future with hope and courage, creating their own home. From a pioneer girl to a world-famous children's literature writer, Laura's life story is full of twists and turns. The "Little House" series of novels fully embodies the spirit of perseverance in pioneering. With her delicate and sincere writing style, Laura vividly portrays the growth of a girl, as well as the family love between parents and siblings, the subtle and enduring love between her and Almanzo, and the diligence, bravery, and respect for nature of the people of 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 our children and grandchildren. When we look back on their lives, we see how they tilled the land, hunted, sewed, built houses, and dug wells, facing countless tests of life that honed their wisdom and made them more appreciative and grateful. The "Little House" series of novels does not have many plots, but it is a wonderful, enjoyable, and enduring classic of world children's literature. The text is full of wit and touches on many interests of teenagers, such as nature, adventure, animals, family, and growth, which can greatly interest young readers and is a valuable book that benefits their pursuit of knowledge and growth. Today, we publish the "Little House" series of novels, 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, find simplicity, courage, resilience, and love!