Reading to Know Book Club :: February CONCLUSION

We really can wrap up our monthly reads around here. Truly. It's just that almost every person hosting a discussion for the book club is also a mother of multiple children. If that doesn't explain the delay then I won't bother trying to explain further.

Stephanie from Everyday Family Living (an awesome mother of 5) hosted February's book club read, choosing Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She chose it because she wanted to read it aloud with her little girl. But I'll let her do the explaining . . .

******

"Mama, read to me!" Over and over my seven year old daughter, Ellie, asks me to read aloud to her. So, with book in hand, we snuggle together under the covers on my bed and leave behind our world of technology and busyness.

I enjoy escaping to the world Laura Ingalls Wilder shares with us in Little House on the Prairie. Her straightforward, no-nonsense writing style allows me to see the wind blowing through the tall prairie grass, smell the smoke curling out of the log cabin chimney, and taste the bacon fried for breakfast.

Through the years I've read aloud this entire series with my children. I like the way they learn about westward U.S. expansion and settlement through literature instead of a boring textbook. I also like the way they learn that the Ingalls family works together as a team, just like we do. Each family member is important for their survival and the love they demonstrate for each other is a joy to witness.

However, Little House on the Prairie is not without it's tense moments. Pa's attitude toward the Indians reflects the prejudices and misunderstandings of his time period. My children and I have discussed how prejudice and racism is based on fear and lack of knowledge. The best way to combat prejudice is to learn about other cultures and traditions.

Thank you, Carrie, for this opportunity to once again play among the prairie grasses with Laura and Mary. (And to be very, Very, VERY thankful for my modern home and conveniences!!)

*****
As a further note, although the book club was specifically reading Little House on the Prairie, we invited people to read whichever book in the Little House series that they chose. I, Carrie, have been reading On the Banks of Plum Creek aloud with my own kids because that's where we are in the series. We're a few chapters away from the end of our read so I'll be posting my own review next week and linking back to this post.

We also decided to read this particular title in the month of February in conjunction with Barbara's Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge which she hosts annually over at Stray Thoughts. Her challenge is also now concluded and you are invited to CLICK HERE to link your review up over at Barbara's if you were participating there as well. (Two challenges for the price of one! Gives one a sense of accomplishment, eh?)

We hope you have enjoyed your read this past month. We'll be discussing the next book club read later on in the week.

If you did read with us and have a blog post and/or thoughts to share on your own Little House read, please link up and comment in the comment section below.