LAURA INGALLS WILDER
American author (1867-1957)
Biography:
Laura Elisabeth Ingalls was born in Big Woods of Wisconsin. She spent her childhood travelling westwards in a caravan. Once she settled down in Dakota, she got married to Almanzo Wilder. Her daughter grew up listening to Laura's stories about her former days as pioneer. In 1935, urged to write down all her memories, Laura Ingalls recorded her past experiences in a children's series known as The Little House Books.
Although all these tales are based on Laura's life, she added adventures at her will and that's why the series is considered to be historical fiction and not autobiography.
Her nine Little House Books are Little House in the Big Woods (1932), Farmer Boy (1933), Little House on the Prairie (1935), On the Banks of Plumb Creek (1937), By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939), The Long Winter (1940), Little Town on the Prairie (1941), These Happy Golden Years (1943) and The First Four Years (1971). But she also wrote On the Way Home (1962) and West From Home (1974).
Laura Wilder Ingalls, author of illustrated books:
On the Banks of Plumb Creeck, illustrated by Garth Williams, Harper Collins, 1971.
Little House on the Prairie, illustrated by Garth Williams, HarperCollins, 1971.
Little House on the Woods, illustrated by Garth Williams, HarperCollins, 1971.
Farmer Boy, illustrated by Garth Williams, Harper.
The Long Winter, illustrated by Garth Williams, Harper.
Little House on the Prairie TV series (1974-1984):
Michel Landon's popular television series is quite different from Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. However, thanks to this TV adaptation, many readers have re-discovered all her books. Everybody remebers the famous song and the character of Melissa Gilbert as the young protagonist.