Rating: 
Summary: Definately worth 25$
Review: I first read these books when I was in first grade. Since then, my copies have disintegrated because they've been read so often. As an English teacher, I'm online right now looking for a new set to use in the classroom. Of course, at 23, I still plan on reading them again myself first. This set is amazing - it combines history and great writing.
Rating:
Summary: True Classics!
Review: One of the biggest fallacies about the Little House books is that they are "girls' books." It was that perception of the books, as well as the sappy, smaltzy "Little House on the Prairie" TV show, that kept me from reading these books until I was in my early teens. One day just out of sheer boredom, I read my sister's worn copy of "Little House in the Big Woods." What a great book! A story of a family's survival in the wilderness with tales of bears, panthers, wolves, hunting, and all sorts of neat information on how pioneer people lived. "Little House in the Big Woods" erased my conception of the Little House books as "girlie stuff" and I promptly read the rest of the series.Yes, some elements will appeal more to girls especially Mrs. Wilder's very detailed descriptions of women's clothing. (I generally just read what color the dress was and then skip over the rest of the description.) However, her stories about Indians, wild animals, blizzards, grasshopper storms, bandits, bullies threatening to beat up teachers, unruly students, unhinged farmwives, bossy older sisters, and a whole host of other great stuff will make these books fascinating to anyone interested in pioneer life regardless of gender. Despite my age I still consider these among my favorite books. They are truly heartwarming classics with the magnificent illustrations of Garth Williams. Laura, the main character, will appeal to almost anyone- honest, principled, courageous, industrious, but with very human elements- including envy of her older sister and holding grudges, especially against snooty Nellie Oleson and her teacher (and future sister-in-law) Eliza Jane Wilder. The books are also a tribute to her father, Charles Ingalls, who emerges as a truly great man and father. A hard-working man upon whom fortune did not always smile, but always was able to remain unbowed regardless of misfortune. He was also a strict disciplinarian, who did not believe in sparing the rod, but also a truly loving father, who would do anything for his girls. Charles Ingalls, as seen through the eyes of his daughter, is a man worthy of any reader's respect. For those who see images of Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert when they hear the words, "Little House," please give the books a chance. They are really nothing like the TV series. Although Laura Ingalls Wilder infused her books with a great deal of sentimentality- they never descend into the maudlin syrup that was the hallmark of the TV series. One example of how different they truly are would be how they represented how Mary, Laura's older sister, lost her eyesight. In "On the Shores of Silver Lake" Laura describes how scarlet fever robbed her sister of her sight, but also proudly describes how that tragedy never brought Mary to tears. Mary always remained "patient and brave." In contrast, the TV show has Mary wailing, moaning, and carrying on until her family ships her off to a school for the blind. (In the books, Mary does eventually go to a college for the blind, but only after years of being an important and valuable member of the family despite her disability.) Once again, the Little House series is a perfect example of the books being vastly superior to any TV or film conversion.
Rating:
Summary: Read and Be Rewarded
Review: This set of books is a must-read for all children. They are full of humor, education, family bonds and respect. I received the set when I was a little girl and read them all over and over. Now, 20 years later, I decided to pick them up and read through them. I am learning some news things that I may not have picked up on or cared about - like how to make candles out of beef fat. These people used all possible resources - and used them well. I highly recommend these books for a realistic view of what life was like on the prairie.
Rating:
Summary: read.buy.keep
Review: I have been reading these books since I could read and 25 years later, I still read them yearly and now read them to my children who are 2.5 and 4 months. My 2.5 year old son is always telling me how he loves Laura and I tell him that I do too. Excellent, wonderful, classic, enduring and endearing; these books will never go out of style. We are now starting to read the other Little House books and just love everything to do with Laura and her family. I highly recommend them to anyone, young or old, male or female.
Rating:
Summary: Such important books!
Review: I got "Little House in the Big Woods" when I was 7. I remember crying when I finished it because I wanted the story to go on and on. I pushed and prodded my Mom to get the rest of the books. As quickly as they appeared as birthday and Christmas presents, I devoured them. Almost 35 years later, I can say that I have read almost every book that has been written by or about Laura.
Many other reviewers have pointed out the especially wonderful aspects of the books. The narrator ages as Laura grows up. (What a cool concept!) The story of 4 year old Laura's Christmas in Wisconsin is as real and moving as the description of 18 year old Laura falling in love with Almanzo in Dakota Territory. The images are always fresh, and the stories always epitomize wholesomeness. There is a consistency all the way through "These Happy Golden Years" that shows that great care and skill were employed to make the series unwaveringly good.
The real life of Laura was strenuous and uncertain. She was poor most of her young life. She and Almanzo faced great loss and always worked very hard to run their farm. The many moves made by the Ingalls and Wilder families were made to escape difficulties like failed crops or to improve bad situations like poor health. According to available accounts, Laura did not stay in close contact with her family after she left Dakota. Her relationship with Almanzo does not seem to have been remarkable, and her relationship with her only child, Rose, was strained.
However, all of these mundane details coalesced to create some of the best books ever written. Many readers do not know that Rose was the impetus for the Little House phenomenon. She became a writer first, and she saw how she could help her mother to take the story of her life and turn it into beautiful literature. There is controversy about how much Rose helped. Some say that she was a full fledged ghost writer. In any case, it is safe to say that the Little House series was a mother/daughter collaborative effort.
A talented mother and daughter turned the memories of a difficult, pioneering life into books that I could not put down. I read and re-read them until they became part of my life experience. I know that I am one of many for whom the experience made me love reading more, made me wonder more about how other people in other times lived, made me see how good people lived in the world, and made me more alive in some way. I cannot say enough good things about these books.
Every child should read them, and every adult should read them again!
Rating: 
Summary: A must read for any childhood...
Review: Laura Ingalls' series of novels based on her childhood in the 1800s is one of the most amazing works of literature ever compiled. I think that every child should have the opportunity to read this series. And it's not too late for adults, either. Though the writing is somewhat simple, anyone can enjoy the characters and the adventures of this brave pioneer family. The amazing thing is how much you can learn from these books. History truly comes alive.
Rating:
Summary: 13 and Loving these Books
Review: Seriously, I've loved these books since the first time I got them about 15 years ago. I used to watch the shows and got hooked that way, then I read the books and I've been a fan ever since. I still have my old used books from 15 years ago, with only one or two books that are newer (endless re-reading cracked the other ones). To tell you the truth, I still re-read them every now and then, these books will definitely be given to my future kids.
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