I do have a daughter, but she’s an independent, think-for-yourself kind of girl, and the fact that I have mildly suggested she read On the Banks of Plum Creek (we’ve read the first two together) before we go to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota this summer has pretty much made her determined to not even glance at a page. (Though recently, after endless suggestions from her father and me, she did finally pick up Encyclopedia Brown, which she adored just as we’d predicted, and which hopefully proved to her that Mom and Dad do know a thing or two about good books sometimes. But I digress.)
So with my current lack of female interest in the Little House series on the female side of my family, I was especially gratified to come across this story about a mother and her sons traveling to Pepin, Walnut Grove, De Smet — and even Burr Oak. She weaves in boy-only commentary throughout her travelogue, which makes for an interesting twist.
The photo slideshow to the story is here on the website for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, which is where the story first appeared this past weekend. The print version will appear online tomorrow.
Hmmm, maybe I’ll ask my daughter to read this story?













Sandra, there’s hope! I could never get my daughter interested in reading the Little House books when she was younger. I actually paid her to read them one summer, because I was convinced that she would get hooked. She enjoyed them, but was not hooked. Well, now, at the ripe old age of 28, she started reading them again! And loving them! WooHoo! So, my dream is that she and I will take my dream Little House homesites trip – all at one time!
Thank you Sandra! I have 2 boys, 2 1/2, and 1 1/2! I’ve always known I would introduce them to Little House, and I appreciate the posting – great ideas!
How cool! Thanks for sharing this, Sandra. I am the mom of two boys (4 years & 5 months) and hope that they will enjoy seeing the sites when they are a little older. LH is not just for girls, look at Bill Anderson!