Remembering Old Favorites

My 8th graders are learning about pioneer women and we read an article about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books about life on the frontier. Some of them had seen the television show, but none had read the books. Those stories were a beloved feature of my childhood. I remember lounging under the walnut tree in my back yard in my refrigerator-sized box that I made into my reading space. The top had a cut-out sun roof, providing perfect lighting to read by.

The summer I read Little House in the Big Woods, I made butter out of heavy cream and crafted a rag doll. Years later when I taught first grade, I took my sweet six year olds to the frontier by reading the same book, same copy, aloud. They were fascinated by Pa and his gun and the little wooden cabin. We made log cabins with popsicle sticks for walls and leaves for roofs. Of course we made butter, too.

At her baptism, my daughter was gifted the entire Little House on the Prairie series, and when she was six, we started with her own copy of Little House in the Big Woods. I love that she loved it too.

That is the magic of books. There are so many from my childhood that I remember and cherish. Sparking a love for reading and storytelling in my students is the best part of being a teacher.

What are your childhood favorites?

I was looking for a prairie photo, but this will have to do. It’s from a visit to Idaho.

Thanks for reading.

Warmly,

Deanna