Farmer Boy (Little House)

Book Description

The story of a boy named
Almanzo Wilder . . .

While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Almanzo and his brother and sisters work at their chores from dawn to supper most days-no matter what the weather. There is still time for fun, though, especially with the horses, which Almanzo loves more than anything.

Farmer Boy is the third book in the Laura Years series.

From shearing sheep and milking cows to training young calves, Almanzo Wilder worked very hard on his family's farm in New York. But when his chores were all done, Almanzo could go to his favorite place in the whole world -- the Horse-Barn. Although his father wouldn't let him handle the frisky colts, Almanzo could still look at them and dream of one day having a horse all his own!

Customer Reviews:

Great Motivational book for children.......2007-05-17

If your kids complain that you give them too many chores to do and they never get any time to have fun this book should be a must read! Not only does it contain numerous lessons about farming techniques and problems but it also shows how much a little boy of 10 years is capable of doing and how willing and proud he is of doing it. I was very impressed with the book and found myself reading it on my own, without my child. Laura Ingalls Wilder has quite a talent in putting pictures down in words. Almanzo Wilder's one year in this book was facinating and enlightening. I have a much larger appreciation for both what times were like and how much easier they are now.

Almanzo's Childhood: Preparing for His Life and His Wife (His Bride)!.......2007-04-27

Of all the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House" books, FARMER BOY is, hands down, my very favorite.

The book covers a portion of the boyhood of Almanzo Wilder, who was to grow up to become Laura's husband. Almanzo grew up on a thriving, successful farm in New York state. Almanzo's father was especially known and respected for raising top-quality horses. Almanzo's mother had her own home business ventures and was known for making top-quality butter, fetching top dollar, to be served in some of the finest restaurants in New York City.

I could probably write a book about this book and why I love it so much. Through the examples of the Wilder family, its strengths and limitations, the author puts forth some enduring lessons about hard work, mutual respect, the value of time and money, hope... and more. FARMER BOY stands out among the other "Little House" books because: a) it is about Almanzo, long before he ever met Laura, ten years his junior (so Laura was not even born yet at the time this book starts its story); and b) the Wilder family, like the Ingalls family, faced hardships, but not to the relentless and ridiculous level that the Ingalls family seemed to do so, leaving more room to delineate normal, day-to-day life, which itself was incredibly rich and interesting.

During the time that Laura, many miles away, was an infant and young child, Almanzo was growing up in New York, developing his love of horses and skill in working with them. During the time he was a young man venturing out west, Laura herself was developing her love of horses and skill in riding them. That they were both "horse lovers" provided a lovely and important common ground later when they met, courted and married.

Almanzo James Wilder was born February 13, 1857 and died on October 23, 1949, at the age of 92. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born on February 7, 1867 and died on February 10, 1957, at age 90. They were married on August 25, 1885. These details mean that Almanzo was very much alive in 1933 when FARMER BOY was published, and presumably, very much available as a resource for his wife Laura, the author. To me, that is precious and relevant, for it attests to longevity (both of their marriage and their lives) and to the presumption of authenticity regarding this wonderful book. Highly recommended!

Farmer Boy.......2007-04-03

Farmer Boy

Do you like farms? Well, this boy certainly does! This boy named Almanzo is a boy who just loves the farm. Farmer Boy tells you how farming was done in the 1870's. It describes how they used to have to spend two weeks cutting hay, and how they had to wake up at three o'clock in the morning on Independence Day just to save the corn. It tells what it was like to live in the house with his two parents, and his annoying big brother and sisters! This is the life of a true farmer! I thought that this book was great, and I really encourage you to read it.
Farmer Boy is recommended for kids eight to twelve. Personally, I think that this book is great for people8 and older. I know s that still like it, and I know that I do! Even though a lot of people over twelve do not give it a chance, I hope that you will.
The words in this book are very easy to understand, and there is no inappropriate content either. For example, in the book it says, "The ice-house was built of boards with wide between. It was set high off the ground on wooden blocks, and looked like a big cage."(Sic) You can see just from this quote that it is easy to read, and Laura Ingalls Wilder did a great job of describing things.
Farmer Boy is also a good chapter book for visual learners. In every chapter there is at least one picture. This helps you visualize what is happening in the book, and it helps you understand what is going on.
I thought that Farmer Boy was a great book. I really learned a lot about life and farming in the 1870's. This book is perfect for people who love history and biographies. The best part of the book is at the end when Almanzo gets a big present; it is something that he has always wanted. The only way you will find out what it is is read the book!

...makes it impossible for readers to follow the saying 'early to bed, early to rise'...keeps you reading long into the night.......2007-01-24

Nine-year-old Almanzo "Manzo" Wilder has a delightful family, complete with three older siblings (Royal, Eliza Jane, and Alice), along with two loving parents, and never wants for anything - especially not food, as the table is always laden with lavish spreads of food, from mashed potatoes to chicken, and pumpkin pie to apples and onions. But now, as Manzo begins preparing for school, he realizes that there's something he wants more than anything, and that's a colt of his very own. Pa, however, doesn't believe that Almanzo is old enough to break a colt. He feels that Almanzo's duties lie more within weeding the fields, and training a team of young oxen to pull carts, and assist with the daily chores. So Almanzo decides to prove to his family that he has the strength, and the maturity, to have his own colt. From sun up, until sun down Almanzo works as much as he possibly can, helping his father with everything from seeding to weeding, and pulling to sheering. It is only, however, when the New York State resident realizes that skipping school all the time to work among a farm, and neglecting his studies to play with his friends and spend the day sledding, that Almanzo learns that proving your responsibility doesn't only take a lot of manual labor, but labor for your mind, as well.

As an avid viewer of the "Little House On the Prairie" TV show, I wasn't exposed to the character of Almanzo Wilder until he was well out of childhood, and considered a man. So I was quite excited to have the opportunity to learn more about his quirks as a pre-pubescent boy growing up in northern New York State. Almanzo, even at the age of nine, was a responsible boy who grew up to be a responsible man. He worked hard, but never forgot to enjoy his youth by getting into all sorts of mischief - from overeating ice cream, to staining the family's parlor wall with blacking. His interactions with his older brother and sisters are comical, as he is treated like a baby more often than not, and appears to resent it more than anything. As strange as it sounds, I was a big fan of Almanzo's mother throughout the tale. Talk of her days and nights slaving over a stove, preparing the most mouth-watering meals known to man really gave me an accurate depiction of the amount of work that took place during the frontier years, while at the same time leaving me with a serious craving for a thick slice of pumpkin pie. As with the previous book in the series, LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS, FARMER BOY includes a biography about the author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, along with a brief history on two very important subjects (the county fair, and school days), the lyrics to a song (Yankee-Doodle), and a recipe (Pulled Molasses Candy). FARMER BOY makes it impossible for readers to follow the saying "early to bed, early to rise," for it will keep you reading long into the night.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Read it aloud yourself, please........2006-11-29

I love all of the Little House books, and have since I was a little girl. I can spew out more information about the books than most readers, and have visited all the Little House sites. I love that I am getting to do this all over again with my daughter, and that she loves the books too.

That said, I do not like the CD versions of the books. There is an insincerity that comes across in the readings of the books, almost a mocking. Cherry Jones' accent is actually very distracting from the story. Her sense of the writing in the story, and how it would be delivered is very off. I'm not sure why anyone would have approved of the readings much less printed them and sold them at such a high price.

I know that Ms Jones is an accomplished actresses. That's why it's so sad that these wonderful stories are mangled by someone who should be able to give them the beauty they deserve.

Little House on the Prairie Boxed Set ((9 Books) Little House On the Prairie; Farmer Boy; On the Banks of Plum Creek; the Long Winter; These Happy Golden Years; the First Four Years; By the Shores of Silver Lake; Little House In the Big Woods; Little Town On the Prairie)

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Little House on the Prairie Boxed Set ((9 Books) Little House On the Prairie; Farmer Boy; On the Banks of Plum Creek; the Long Winter; These Happy Golden Years; the First Four Years; By the Shores of Silver Lake; Little House In the Big Woods; Little Town On the Prairie)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 059020632X

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how Ellis became a bore
What a lovely read...
Coming of Age through personification
Great book, very enjoyable read
More than just pot and farting goats

Goats
Mark Jude Poirier
Manufacturer: Miramax Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786866802

Amazon.com

In Goats, first novelist Mark Jude Poirier brings us an oddly compelling story of two men, one a teenager, the other about 40, both committed adolescents. Fourteen-year-old Ellis lives with his mom in suburban Tucson, Arizona. Goat Man is, for lack of a better definition, their pool man. He takes care of the pool and the garden, and "in exchange, Ellis's languid mother Wendy gave him food, the pool house, and a meager salary. She also provided him with a place to keep his goats." When he's not caring for his herd, Goat Man spends his off hours growing pot and getting high. And every so often, he heads into the desert for a trek with the goats, walking at night in the cool dark. In many of these pursuits--especially the getting high part--he is joined by the confident, easygoing Ellis. This apprenticeship is interrupted only when Ellis heads off to Gates Academy, the Pennsylvania prep school attended by his absentee father. The novel then follows him as he journeys from his unconventional home into the real world.

There are plenty of reasons Goats shouldn't work. For one thing, Ellis is a strangely perfect protagonist. He's good at everything, smart, responsible, too cool for school. Also, the central mystery of Goat Man--how he became Goat Man--remains unsolved. Meanwhile, most of the other characters are one-dimensional: Ellis's slobby roommate at Gates, his spacey mom, his hardliner crew coach. Yet the author has been savvy in choosing his material. The familiar rigors of prep school make a fine foil for the evocative descriptions of Ellis's desert treks. Poirier also cleverly inverts the coming-of-age formula--rather than encountering a strange new world, his tender protagonist emerges into a merely normal one. Most important, Poirier never judges his characters. Ellis doesn't become better than Goat Man or his mother; he simply discovers that he has options besides smoking pot in the pool house, which gives an upbeat twist to this charming and assured debut. --Claire Dederer

Book Description

Fourteen-year-old Ellis is getting ready to leave for a boarding school in the East. This means leaving behind his mother, and Goat Man. Goat Man and Ellis will take a trip during Elliss spring break across the border. When they embark on their cross-desert trek, they are forced to reevaluate a relationship they thought was the only thing that would never change in their crazy lives.

Customer Reviews:

how Ellis became a bore.......2006-02-23

The novel started out strong. I immediatley became immersed in the life of Ellis, Wendy, Goat man and Barney. I wanted so much for Ellis just to keep his cool composure and not sell out to the stuffy persona that his prep school embodied. I did want him to become more responsible than his parents, but I feel like he never really got to have a child hood and then he started becoming a jerk and I was never really sure why. I thought that the novel ended abruptly and didn't give proper explanation of certain details. Like Why was Wendy so crazy? Why did Frank really leave? Did she always love him? Why did Ellis start acting like a spoiled brat? Was Goat man really doing anything with the goats?@! It might have been more of a coming of age novel for Wendy than it really was for Ellis

What a lovely read..........2003-12-31

I'm no critic. Just know what I like when I read it, and this is a lovely novel. What a cool movie it could be. (Sounding like a teenager is cool, too.) I hope Poirier publishes another novel soon.

Coming of Age through personification.......2003-11-15

Goats is an off the wall coming of age story, that brings with it the emotion and depth of a classic novel. The writing style of Mark Jude Porrier entrances the reader and creates an excitment that makes this book impossible to put down. Some of the subject matter may be extreme, but it suits its purpose of being a down to earth coming of age story. The goats that are so vividly described are so personified you begin to associate with them as much as you do the main characters. This book is a great example of a lazy summer read, and will bring a smile and possibly a tear to anyone who reads it.

Great book, very enjoyable read.......2003-07-06

I have been reading all the previous reviews of this book and I don't want to be redundant, so I will simply say that this is one of the most enjoyable, easy and fun to read books of its type. Its a real shame that it is not more well known as people are missing out on a good thing. If you havent already done so, read it now. You wont be disappointed!!

More than just pot and farting goats.......2003-02-06

when my friend told me about GOATS, i thought it sounded like a series of one-liners: farting goats, marijuana jokes, aging hippies, prep school dorks. it's not. somehow poirier manages to write a real novel with multidimensional realistic characters and an intriguing plot.

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A Farmer Boy Birthday Review
Another winner for the series.

A Farmer Boy Birthday (Little House)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0060274778

Book Description

Long, long ago, a little boy named Almanzo Wilder lived on a farm in the New York countryside with his father, his mother, his big brother, Royal, and his big sisters, Eliza Jane and Alice. One special day is Almanzo's birthday. He gets to stay home from school, and even better, Father gives him a yoke for his calves, Star and Bright, and a beautiful hand-sled. Almanzo spends the morning learning how to break the calves, and then he spends the afternoon flying down the hill in his brand-new sled.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers. Now for the first time, the youngest readers can share Almanzo's adventures on the farm in these very special picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved storybooks. Jody Wheeler's warm paintings, inspired by Garth Williams' classic Little House illustrations, bring Almanzo and his family lovingly to life.

Customer Reviews:

A Farmer Boy Birthday Review.......2004-01-17

This story reflects the way a birthday boy growing up on a farm in the late 1800's might celebrate his birthday. The editor has done an excellent job of taking a short story from within Laura Ingalls Wilder's original book FARMER BOY and making it a short story for youngsters. The pictures are appealing and the story stays focused. I wish the publishers would print another edition of the book. All the stories we have read from the "My First Little House Books" have been thoroughly enjoyed by my family. We often give copies as gifts to other children and we borrow the copies we can't get from the library.

Another winner for the series........2000-07-09

This is another great story in the Little House series. This one is about Almanzo and his life on the farm when he was a young boy. The day begins like any other but ends with a special gift towards "man-hood" for his birthday. My pre-school children love all the Little House books, but this one is particularly loved and read over and over again. The story also teaches selflessness with a surprise at the end.

Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest

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Enjoyable Reading
Bitter/Sweet
Farm Flavor
Compelling Glimpse of the Rural Wonder of Gay America
Hidden history

Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest

Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0299150844

Book Description

Homosexuality is often seen as a purely urban experience, far removed from rural and small-town life. Farm Boys undermines that cliche by telling the stories of more than three dozen gay men, ranging in age from 24 to 84, who grew up in farm families in the midwestern United States. Whether painful, funny, or matter-of-fact, these plain-spoken accounts will move and educate any reader, gay or not, from farm or city.

“When I was fifteen, the milkman who came to get our milk was beautiful. This is when I was really getting horny to do something with another guy. I waited every day for him to come. I couldn’t even talk to him, couldn’t think of anything to say. I just stood there, watching him, wondering if he knew why.”—Henry Bauer, Minnesota

“When I go back home, I feel a real connection with the land—a tremendous feeling, spiritual in a way. It makes me want to go out into a field and take my shoes off and put my feet right on the dirt, establish a real physical connection with that place. I get homesick a lot, but I don’t know if I could ever go back there and live. It’s not the kind of place that would welcome me if I lived openly, the way that I would like to live. I would be shunned.”—Martin Scherz, Nebraska

“If there is a checklist to see if your kid is queer, I must have hit every one of them—all sorts of big warning signs. I was always interested in a lot of the traditional queen things—clothes, cooking, academics, music, theater. A farm boy listening to show tunes? My parents must have seen it coming.”—Joe Shulka, Wisconsin

“My favorite show when I was growing up was ‘The Waltons’. The show’s values comforted me, and I identified with John-Boy, the sensitive son who wanted to be a writer. He belonged there on the mountain with his family, yet he sensed that he was different and that he was often misunderstood. Sometimes I still feel like a misfit, even with gay people.”—Connie Sanders, Illinois

“Agriculture is my life. I like working with farm people, although they don’t really understand me. When I retire I want the word to get out [that I’m gay] to the people I’ve worked with—the dairy producers, the veterinarians, the feed salesmen, the guys at the co-ops. They’re going to be shocked, but their eyes are going to be opened.”—James Heckman, Indiana

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable Reading.......2007-06-05

I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories very much and learned quite a bit about lives of gay men who grew up on farms. Some of them went into more detail about farm life than others--some of them told more about their lives AFTER leaving the farm, but all in all they were real interesting. I've got to hand it to every one of them, I don't know if I could have 'cut it' on a farm. Suppose I wouldn't of had a choice if I had been born to a farm family--but I certainly do see where these fellas have a 'hard row to hoe' (yes, a pun but still serious) because if they DO like farm life, they wouldn't have such a good life being gay. So I can see where most of them would end up leaving. How could you live an open life?? I think someone growing up on a farm would have a much stronger viewpoint on life. It would be kind of like growing up during the Depression at any age or time period. So physical and demanding--nothing happening or getting done unless YOU do it!! Not like the urban city life I was born into. I really hand it to farm people and gained a new respect for them. They can proclaim like the Marines...."the few, the proud".

Bitter/Sweet.......2006-07-06

This book was very well-written, and very biographical eliciting a bitter-sweet and depthful authentic quality. Ones who peer into the book 'Farm Boys: Lives of Gay men From the Rural Midwest' may feel somewhat of a voyeur, but there is a purity concerning the content of this book that will leave you slightly melancholic but satisfied.

Farm Flavor.......2006-04-09

The book has interviews with Gay men who grew up in farming communities. They're arranged by date of birth, and the biographical information ranges from funny to sad, and from stories you'd like to hear more of to stories you wish they had left out. I enjoyed the chapters with the individuals who had been fully interviewed. Unfortunately, some of the chapters were short and a little off-topic.

All in all, I'm glad I read the book, but it could have been done much better. If the subjects had been interviewed instead of just sent questionnaires, they could have been kept on-topic, and not allowed to ramble on about minutia. It really could have been a good book.

Compelling Glimpse of the Rural Wonder of Gay America.......2006-03-05

I happened upon this book by chance in my university library at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. I am working on a report for a Sociology class on the group ACT UP, and this title caught my eye while searching for that particular book. I am from the MidWest, SouthWest, MI, and though I was not raised on a farm, I grew up in a small town with very rigid conservative Christian values, and can relate heavily to it. Cetainly the book is enthralling and captivating and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I must add though I found some of it disturbing. Several of the men featured in here engaged in bestality and incest with their brothers, uncles, cousins, etc. It seems they took a rather blithe attitude toward it, as if it was part of the culture. Even though I don't prescribe to the belief molestation makes a person gay, I can't help but wonder if it influenced them towards it.

Hidden history.......2003-05-02

"Farm Boys" is a superb work of American oral history and sociology. Author Will Fellows spoke to rural gay Midwestern men of all ages, to draw out, record and give shape to their life stories. The result is a poignant and revealing mosaic-portrait that shows the rich intersections of farm life, gay culture and the American twentieth century. Of especial interest to me were the stories of those men born nearly a century ago - we have so little written testimony of what it was like to live as a gay man "back then." And while the subject is gay men, I imagine this book would also be of interest to any reader wanting to know more about rural lives and attitudes in twentieth-century America. Thank you, Mr. Fellows for all your hard work!

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Horrible revision of History
Great man; children's biography
Catholics should take note...
Excellent Biography of the Transforming Power of Christ

Augustine the Farmers Boy of Tagaste
P. De Zeeuw , and T. De Zeeuw
Manufacturer: Inheritance Pubn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0921100051

Customer Reviews:

Horrible revision of History.......2007-08-22

This book takes time to slam the Catholic Church and seems to be it's main aim. Augustine did not revive the Church back to the word of God. If you know your history, the Bible was not compiled in it's first version until late 390 AD. Augustine only lived 30 more years past this, there were no printing presses and back then, it took over 3 years wages just to purchase your own Bible. How many Bible's would be in the world today if each copy cost $120,000 (using $40k as an average, which might be low) Augustine was ordained a Catholic Priest and become a Bishop of the Catholic Church. His mother sought the help of a Bishop who later baptized, confirmed and gave Holy Orders to Augustine. All facts this books seems to 'forget' to mention. Augustine was a strong, leader in the early Christian Church, which was was the Catholic Church. Don't be fooled, get yourself another book. Having read much about St. Augustine, this book has some accuracy but much is left out to cloud the real story. It's too bad us Christians must fight and twist the truth to benefit our own point of view.

Great man; children's biography.......2006-12-05

This is a short, children's biography; I read the 93 pages in about an hour. The account begins in Augustine's childhood, and depicts his very wayward life. His mother, Monica, follows him throughout his years of wickedness with her love, prayers, and tears. It would be an encouraging story to mothers who see their children walking apart from the Lord. God does hear and answer prayer. The book includes his conversion and later service in the church, concluding with his passing from death into Life eternal.

One chapter near the end of the book tells a legend of an angel, appearing as a young boy teaching a lesson to Augustine. THe bishop had been trying to understand with his mind Who God is, and the lesson was that our minds can not comprehend God in His fullness, and we must believe what we know. This is not presented as fact, but is called a legend in the book.

I think the book is an excellent introduction to Augustine, especially for younger children. It's an easy read for those who want to know about Augustine, but don't have the time to go through "Confessions" or "City of God."

Catholics should take note..........2006-09-12

Overall, I think the book is a decent overview of Augustine's life. The author did take some liberties with historical fact, however. He also seems to have a very dim view of the Catholic faith. The most blatant remark comes at the end. On page 93 the author states, "We are grateful to the Lord for giving the church a man like Augustine. It is regrettable that after his death the church was corrupted and became Roman Catholic."

This is one of the few children's books on Augustine, however, so it will probably be a source that will be used by many. As I said, overall the book is okay, but certainly a bit on the dry side. I would suggest that Catholic parents read the book out loud to their children instead of having them read it themselves, as there are many parts in the book that a parent might want to comment on.

Excellent Biography of the Transforming Power of Christ.......2005-06-21

I was amazed to read this biography of Augustine. This biography tells the sordid life of Augustine. Like the prodigal son, he made devastating choices in his life that grieved his parents and family. A breakdown under a fig tree brought Augustine to the end of himself and to the transforming power of Christ. Augustine became one of the greatest among the Church Fathers, combatting false teachings. His work to return the church to the Bible as the infallible Word of God was continued centuries later by Martin Luther.

The story itself is powerful, however the book is written in a straight-foward approach that is a little boring for the younger reader. It openly discusses points of immorality in Augustine's life that a parent would need to handle together with younger readers.

Farmer Boy Days (Little House Chapter Book)

Average customer rating:

Educating the Boy to be a Man
Farmer Boy from a new dimension

Farmer Boy Days (Little House Chapter Book)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064420612
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Book Description

From shearing sheep and milking cows to training young calves, Almanzo Wilder worked very hard on his family's farm in New York.But when his chores were all done, Almanzo could go to his favorite place in the whole world -- the Horse-Barn. Although his father wouldn't let him handle the frisky colts, Almanzo could still look at them and dream of one day having a horse all his own!

These gentle adaptions from Laura Ingalls Wilder's original Little House books capture the spirit of this beloved pioneer girl and invite beginning chapter-book readers into the magical world of Little House. This glimpse into America's frontier past brings Laura's cherished stories to a whole new generation of young readers.

Customer Reviews:

Educating the Boy to be a Man.......2005-07-15

Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) wrote her stories about living in the late 19th century. She married Almanzo Wilder (from Malone NY, near the Canadian border), another pioneer who came west as a young man. This book is about young Almanzo and his life as a farmer boy. They ate a hearty farm breakfast. Calories don't count when you walk everywhere, work all day long, and live in a house lacking central heating when it is forty below zero.

Chapter 4 tells schooling in the good old days. Perhaps its explains why William Quantrill or George A. Custer were teachers before their military careers? Chapter 7 describes old-fashioned twisted doughnuts that turn over when cooked in oil. It tells how people lived without running water or electricity for dishwashing. Chapter 9 tells about breaking the calves. You could never teach an animal if you struck it, or shouted at it. You must always be gentle and quiet and patient. The animal must trust to be hard-working. Chapter 11 describes spring planting. Then there was sheep-shearing (Chapter 14). Almanzo's father explains that money is the result of hard work. You can spend and lose it, or you can buy a piglet, raise it, and get more money for it. Father explains that while guns won the Revolution, it was axes and plows that made America by farming the land (Chapter 16). Almanzo had mischievous ways (Chapter 18). Chapter 22 tells of the butchering, and how every part was used. Note how often these memories have to do with feasting on holidays (Chapter 26). Smells evoke memories.

The book tells of a year in Almanzo's life as a farmer boy, through the cycle of seasons. Its descriptions of life long ago is educational and entertaining. The book presents thrift as the optimal virtue, and better than squandering or parsimony. The events show that human nature hasn't changed much. Almanzo's father gave him a good practical education to prepare him to for his future. Father and Mother discuss Almanzo's future. Would he become a wheelwright and townsman, dependent on trade, or be an independent farmer and raise his own and other's food? You know how he decides.

Now it can be told. When Mother came home she saw the papered-over spot on the wall paper the very next day. She quickly figured out what happened, as Mothers usually do. But she decided not to make a fuss over it, as the children fixed their mistakes.

Farmer Boy from a new dimension.......2000-08-06

This book is dazzling with stories about Almanzo Wilder and his childhood with brothers and sisters.Mellisa Peterson and Laura Ingalls Wilder really know how to attract young and imaginative minds to a great book.This book is filled with stories from the pioneer days in New York City.Come and enter the bustling world of young Almanzo Wilder, his farm in New York,and his family!

From Dawn to Dusk: Memoirs of an Amish/Mennonite Farm Boy

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A Journey into Rural America of the 1930s and 1940s
Well written book about Amish life

From Dawn to Dusk: Memoirs of an Amish/Mennonite Farm Boy
Will Troyer
Manufacturer: Llumina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A nostalgic look at farm life during the Depression. The Amish family lived a modest lifestyle until they became Mennonites and acquired electricity and a car. Threshing, butchering, making apple butter and farming with horses are fond memories of the author.

Customer Reviews:

A Journey into Rural America of the 1930s and 1940s.......2004-03-27

I loved it. This book should be read by the light of a kerosene lamp next to a potbelly stove that's heating water for a Saturday night bath. Will Troyer transports the reader to a simpler time. His descriptions of life in Amish and Mennonite communities resonate with anyone who grew up in rural America in the 1930s and 1940s. From his colorful commentary about a stubborn horse to the pranks he and his friends played at Halloween, the author skillfully portrays his boyhood. By describing the old swimmin' hole, the excitement of turning on a wall switch and seeing electric lights illuminate the family's home for the first time, and the hardships and good times of his boyhood, Troyer offers a magic carpet ride into the past.

Well written book about Amish life.......2003-11-14

The author tells it like it was. Having been raised in the same time period and under similar circumstances, I appreciated the honesty and straightforward writing style. The very accurate portrayal of the Amish/Mennonite farming community with lack of hyperbole was refreshing.
While the author does not expound greatly on his philosophy, his love of nature and the environment is evident. Also evident is the way his love of nature was nurtured by his early life in a farming community.
A good read for anyone interested rural living as it used to be and a little bit about present farming practices.

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Hard Won Skills

The Boy Who Invented Skiing: A Memoir
Swain Wolfe
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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The Woman Who Lives in the Earth

ASIN: 0312310935
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

Swain Wolfe spent his childhood exploring the mesas of Colorado and tunnels of his fathers Tuberculosis sanatorium near the Garden of the Gods and later his stepfathers cattle ranch in the high country. That natural paradise became his refuge, but family violence forced him from the mountains and wild rivers to Missoula. He felt lost in town, immersing himself in work as he had in nature. He cut timber until the trees started talking and led a crew into a raging forest fire, but it was underground mining that changed his life. Wolfe absorbed the skills of natural storytellers, the ranchers, loggers, and miners he knew. This lyrical memoir tells the stories of the free thinkers, hardscrabble philosophers, desperate characters, spirited women, and outsider artists who embodied the boom spirit of the West after World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Hard Won Skills.......2006-06-20

I guess he must have invented skiing after the main events of this book was over, but already by the time he was 21 Swain Wolfe had been through the kind of hell that Sybil did, a tragic explosion of child abuse and poverty on a TB sanitarium in long ago Colorado, where the beauty of the mountains acted as a continual reproach to the abusive families who lived on its slope. His father, Dr. Wolfe, was some piece of work all right. He was afraid of giving himself to his wife, because his heart was sort of wonky, and so his wife, Swain's lovely mother, felt ignored and hardly real, like a ghost passing through life at the sanitarium. In one effective chapter he describes a visit from his mom's talented painter brother, Bud, who takes the time to paint a gorgeous portrait of his troubled sister. Little Swain, fascinated by Bud's detailed brushwork on a ruby brooch on his mother's costume, spontaneously reaches out for it while the paint is still wet, spoiling the jewelry's perfection, reducing this trompe d'oeil to a messy blur of red. Symbolic of the mother's dashed dreams, and his own often too hasty grabs for whatever is shiny in life.

I expect that was one of the reasons he invented skiing, the sheer beauty of the sport. In the painting, "she had a forced regal look that only emphasized her self-doubt and anger."

Wolfe has a natural style which makes you think, if he hadn't invented skiing he might well have become a writer much earlier in a long career. Even in childhood, his mother was so helpless that he often had to make decisions for his family, and as he says, "You devote considerable energy to thinking things through from every angle." He brings the same worried care to his writing, insuring his readers a memorable, if traumatic, reading experience. He's old enough to recall some memorable meetings with real cowboys, men, he says, who had only one desire in life, to be on a horse.

His meeting with Lester, who invented self-release ski bindings, probably changed his life and pointed him in the direction that would make him famous. All in all, a searing portrait of a now vanished Western landscape, and a brave boy who put his hard-won skills to the test and survived, nay conquered.

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Farmer Boy
Pictures Garth Williams Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: Harper Row Publ,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JD2A9W

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