If You Like (or Dislike) the Little House Books

As a kid, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series of books about life on the prairie. I watched the TV show, too, and often pretended to be the characters. I relished the details of daily life Wilder included (like the grinding of wheat and twisting of hay into kindling to burn in The Long Winter), making me feel like I was living it with the family.

Now I recognize how racist the books were with terrible attitudes toward the Indigenous people that the pioneers displaced. Here are some other books that offer a more balanced view of the life of homesteaders. Disclaimer: these books are still from the perspective of the pioneers, not Native Americans. Check out these suggestions from Book Riot for middle-grade books by Indigenous authors.

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm (1999)

This episodic novel is set in Washington state in 1899. May Amelia is the only girl in her family with seven brothers to contend with. She bristles against the feminine expectations her family has for her and insists on having adventures. When her mother is pregnant, she hopes this baby will be the sister she has been dreaming of.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson (2006)

Hattie inherits a homestead in Montana when she is sixteen. In order to keep the land, she has to “prove up” in nine months, which requires paying fees, planting crops, and putting up fencing. Set during World War I, the book explores distrust of immigrants through Hattie’s friendship with a German family.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (2020)

Hanna lives on the prairie in 1880. She’s half-Asian and that means she faces prejudice, something her white father doesn’t always understand. But she’s determined to get an education and become a dressmaker.

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransom (2024)

Told from three perspectives: Lettie, a Black girl; Syvia, her mother; and Philomena, a young teacher. Lettie’s family is among a group of Black homesteaders traveling from Louisiana to Nebraska to stake their claim. Hardships of the journey and racism from the people they encounter beset their journey, but they persevere to start a new life where they can be the land owners.