Classic Children’s Books for Fans of the Little House on the Prairie Series

Authored By: Laura Bray

I have a confession to make. I didn’t read the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was a little girl. Growing up in the 1970s, I watched the television series and I was an avid reader but somehow, the Little House books slipped through the cracks.

I remedied this situation when my daughter was young. One summer, I made a reading goal to read the classic children’s books that I missed when I was a child. It was probably one of the best reading summers of my life. Of course, Little House in the Big Woods was on my list. 

During that glorious summer, I not only discovered the joys of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic books, but I discovered many more favorites. Here a few more children’s classics that I think you will love if you enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie series.

The Birchbark Series by Louise Eldrich

The Little House on the Prairie books only tell half of the story of life on the prairie and manifest destiny. To read about the experience of the indigenous people who lived on the prairies, read The Birchbark House series by Louise Eldrich. 

It is the story of a little girl named Omakayas. She is a member of the Ojibwe community, is the same age as Laura Ingalls, and lives near the same area where some of the Little House books take place.

The story is filled with Omakayas’s stories of nature, her family, handcrafts and food that were vital to the survival of the people living on the prairies. It’s a wonderful companion to the Little House books.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The themes of the love of nature, the importance of family and community, and overcoming obstacles that are found in the Little House books are also prevalent in the Anne of Green Gables series. 

Anne, orphaned and sent to live on a farm on Prince Edward Island, doesn’t let her difficult past get in the way of embracing her life to its fullest and loving the people who are around her. If possible she’s even more plucky than Laura Ingalls.

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

This often-forgotten gem of a book features another spirited girl named Elizabeth Ann, She is being raised and spoiled by two unmarried aunts when one is struck by illness. Elizabeth Ann is sent to temporarily live with distant cousins at their farm and soon learns that her spoiled ways and inability to do things herself will not be tolerated. 

As Elizabeth Ann (aka Betsy) learns how to be more independent, she realizes that there is joy to be found in hard work, living simply, and being a contributing member of a family.

As we move into the summer season, why not pick-up one of these books and rediscover the joy of spending a summer afternoon reading. If you need permission to read children’s literature as an adult, read this essay! 

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