The Long Winter

Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder · Illustrated by Garth Williams

Book #6 in the Little House on the Prairie series

A brutal winter traps a town; survival hinges on a daring quest for food.

6.3/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 94,837 ratings

334 pages· 67,661 words· Est. 9.5 hour read· 790L

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Bookroo's summary

In the harsh winter of 1880-81, Laura Ingalls and her family are snowbound in the Dakota Territory. As blizzards isolate their town, food dwindles, threatening starvation. Young Almanzo Wilder embarks on a perilous journey across the prairie to secure wheat. Will his bravery save the town? Experience a unique Christmas celebration in this gripping tale of resilience and hope.

From the publisher

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.

Awards

Newbery Honor (1941)

At a glance

Format: Paperback
Pages: 334
Words: 67,661
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 790L

Themes & topics

Books about family life Books about family Books about frontier and pioneer life Books about rural living Books about 1850-1899

What readers & critics say

Reviews

6.3

out of 7

6.3

“This is one of my favorite books in the Little House series. As a kid, I think I loved it because of the way Laura and her family had to innovate to solve the difficult problems that arose from a particularly hard winter. It's also fun that Almanzo comes back into the story in this book. Even if you're feeling a bit bored with the other Little House books, it might be worth skipping ahead to give this one another try!”

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

The author