Little House on Rocky Ridge (Little House)

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable, but not quite there
Review: I first read "Little House in the Big Woods" 15 years ago as a 10-year old in the Philippines, and acquired my complete collection of the Little House books two years later when I moved to America; the collection was given to me as a gift by my older sister. Twelve years later in the Philippines, I opened another gift from the same sister, and my eyes nearly popped out when I held "Little House on Rocky Ridge" in my hands! I had never known that a whole new series of Little House books were being produced, as the books are not available in the Philippines! I was so pleased with this book, even before reading it, because now I could finally get all the answers to my unanswered questions about Laura, Almanzo, and Rose; I also had a new series to collect and dog-ear with endless readings. To my joy, I made a few more discoveries about the Ingalls family -- Pa had become Justice of the Peace, Mary was now living at home, and they now lived in a bigger house. I also realized that the story does not just focus on Rose, and the reader who knows Laura's style very well, can probably sense this easily, because Rose does not tell her own story. However, much in the tradition of the original Little House books, MacBride gives us a glimpse of a young girl's happy childhood: making, breaking, and mending friendships; helping Papa and Mama make a home; teaching herself how to grow up and adjust to change; witnessing the generosity of friends and neighbors; and embracing the love and perseverance her parents lived and taught Rose so well.

Rating:
Summary: Rose's First Book
Review: I first read "Little House in the Big Woods" 15 years ago as a 10-year old in the Philippines, and acquired my complete collection of the Little House books two years later when I moved to America; the collection was given to me as a gift by my older sister. Twelve years later in the Philippines, I opened another gift from the same sister, and my eyes nearly popped out when I held "Little House on Rocky Ridge" in my hands! I had never known that a whole new series of Little House books were being produced, as the books are not available in the Philippines! I was so pleased with this book, even before reading it, because now I could finally get all the answers to my unanswered questions about Laura, Almanzo, and Rose; I also had a new series to collect and dog-ear with endless readings. To my joy, I made a few more discoveries about the Ingalls family -- Pa had become Justice of the Peace, Mary was now living at home, and they now lived in a bigger house. I also realized that the story does not just focus on Rose, and the reader who knows Laura's style very well, can probably sense this easily, because Rose does not tell her own story. However, much in the tradition of the original Little House books, MacBride gives us a glimpse of a young girl's happy childhood: making, breaking, and mending friendships; helping Papa and Mama make a home; teaching herself how to grow up and adjust to change; witnessing the generosity of friends and neighbors; and embracing the love and perseverance her parents lived and taught Rose so well.

Rating:
Summary: Very close to the quality of the original series
Review: I was extremely pleasently surprised by the quality of the writing in this book and this entire series. It was very, very close to the quality of the originals. Rose is a character with her own thoughts and ideas and personality---very rounded out and not a generic American girl of the past with a few built in character traits. This is very likely because the author actually knew her so well. I loved the chance to get to know more about the rest of the story of Laura and Manly and Rose. If you are like me and are reluctant to dive into this series as you see it as perhaps a pale copy of the original, don't be! It mirrors the style, but in a good way, and it's a worthy adjunct to the original series. I really loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Little House on Rocky Ridge
Review: In my opinion the book Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride is a great book.Based on the life of Rose Wilder and her family this book is as good as the ones abouther mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Rose and her parents are moving from South Dakota to find a better life. They had to move becausethe drought wouldn't let anithing grow. So in a covered wagon they headed to to Kansas in hope of a better life.On the way to Kansas Rose has fun looking at all the new things she hadn't seen before. During the trip Rose's mother shows her the money that will help buy the new farm, it's one hundred dollars.Rose promises that she won't tell anyone about it. But at the end of the trip when they are ready to buy the farm the money can not be found. The whole family gets very woried and dosn't know what to do.Rose and her family learn to be strong on hard times and go on with life.

Rating:
Summary: Little House on Rocky Ridge
Review: It's Laura's road diary ficitionalized in Rose's voice, and just as charming as Little House. A little thinner on plot than the 7 books that follow, but kudos to those who thought to bring this series to print.

Rating:
Summary: A good effort but not nearly as good as the original
Review: MacBride makes an efford to emulate the "Little House on the Praire Series." He might be a good author, but MacBride was writing about someone's elses life story based on research Laura Ingalls was speaking straight from her heart and her own experiences. I've also read "Little House in the Highlands," "Little House by Boston Bay," and "Little House in Brookfield" and NOTHING will ever live up to the original. Sorry, but keep trying

Rating:
Summary: Answers the question: what happened after Little House
Review: Only Laura Ingalls Wilder will ever write the way Laura did, and Little House fans who understand this will love this book and the rest of this new series. This book could stand alone as a portrait of a farm family driven off their land by greedy speculators in South Dakota and searching for a new home where the rain is plentiful. But it also works as a fascinating answer to the question many Little House fans have had: what happened to Laura, Almanzo and Rose after Laura's books ended? Mr. MacBride does an admirable job of following Laura's style as the family treks by covered wagon to Missouri where they must start life anew, with their old friends, the Cooleys. For those who don't know, this is a true story told in novel fashion. Rose is seven, and the book sees the world through her eyes. But the payoff comes from reading the whole series, through Bachelor Girl, when Rose is a grown woman making hard decisions to go out on her own when women were expected to marry or stay at home and become old maids. Aside from the portrait of Laura and Almanzo as mother and father, and Rose's point of view, these books tell the story of America at a time of tremendous technological change, just as today. Only instead of the Internet, it is the telegraph, telephone, and the like. Rose is a believable character, strong-willed like her mother, independent, and smart. Taken together, this series of eight books make a powerful impression on adults as well as children.