I have never seen the TV adaptation of this book and only had a vague idea of what it was about. In terms of plot, this has more of a continuous storyline than Little House in the Big Woods. It’s similar in that there are a lot of detailed descriptions of the processes and life activities, but this has more of a plot.

This is a good educational read to show what it was like for white settlers moving west in the 1800s. However, I do think adult assistance is needed for this book. While Little House in the Big Woods had some racist elements (“Old Ned” song about a dead “darkey”), this contains much more racism and negative views of the “other”.

I do not think that books should be altered to represent present-day views, but the text should be used as a teaching opportunity. In this book, the Native Americans are mostly shown as negative. They are described as “wild” and “savage” and the saying, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian” is popular among multiple characters. There are a few interactions with the Native American people, but for the most part, the white family (with the exception of Pa and his progressive ways) is terrified of the people who are so different from them. Obviously this is from a child’s views and it was probably pretty accurate to how Wilder felt at the time, but it definitely shows Native Americans in a negative light. Despite the fact it is declared multiple times in the text that the white people are kicking the Native Americans off of the land, the Native Americans are framed as the villains. The white people take the land and then get mad when the people living on that land are upset. Important history lesson.

So while this is a great educational read, I can’t give it more than 3 stars because of the racist undertones. The views are clearly outdated, but it can still be used to teach about the historical events of the time.

Overall, it’s a good educational read, but I suggest it in a classroom or other setting where these issues can be discussed and fully understood by the readers.