Neighborhoods

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Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Publisher: HarperCollins (2004)

Binding: Paperback, 352 pages

Thirteen-year-old Laura and her family suffer through a long and difficult winter on the prairie. Heavy snows keep the trains from running to her town, and slowly, the town runs out of food. The book details the difficult winter and Almanzo’s bravery in helping to save the town.

This book, though it has a slower storyline than most other Laura books, is also one of my favorites. It highlights the interdependence of the town and the sprit that made the pioneers persevere in the face of adversity.

Alice wishes for a baby brother, but her family gets a giant baby instead. Following this perplexing incident is an action-packed story complete with baby care, multiple kidnappings, skipped school, children banding together, a mad scientist, and a trial.

Told from a humorous perspective, this story reminds me a bit of the fanciful approach that Roald Dahl uses. An unbelievable event dropped into the middle of everyday life makes for an enjoyable tale.