Laura Ingalls Is Ruining My Life

August 7, 2017
Twelve-year-old Charlotte’s mother is looking for inspiration to write a pioneer novel for children (and to avoid a debt collector), so she abruptly moves the Lake family from Lexington, Ky., to Walnut Grove, Minn., where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent part of her childhood. This doesn’t surprise Charlotte, since they’re always moving from place to place, but she and her siblings aren’t excited about leaving Lexington to face bitterly cold weather and small-town life. Charlotte is determined not to become attached to anything or anyone in Walnut Grove, but after she gets coerced into volunteering at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, she’s increasingly drawn to the town’s history and to a classmate who could be a friend. In a novel about uncomfortable new beginnings and changing attitudes, Tougas (A Patron Saint for Junior Bridesmaids) pays tribute to Wilder and the harsh landscape she knew while delineating a child’s gradual assimilation into a tight-knit community. Readers need not be familiar with Wilder’s pioneer books to commiserate with Charlotte as she endures social, physical, and emotional hardships, or to understand her longing to feel settled in one place. Ages 9–12. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary.

August 15, 2017
A girl's irresponsible mother plans to channel the spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder into a bestselling novel. Charlotte, age 12, has heard this sort of thing before. Along with Freddy, her hearing-impaired twin, and Rose, her perennially sunny 11-year-old half sister, she's gotten used to Mom's perpetual search for greener pastures. Only they've always lived in warmer places, and Mom's always had a job--now they're in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, the prairie icon's former hometown, and Mom's counting on their meager savings lasting until she can finish her book. (Charlotte and family are white; their landlords, who are important characters, are Latinx, and many of Charlotte's classmates are Hmong.) Charlotte knows how to survive: be average. But here, for the first time, her twin becomes popular in his own right. Her teacher refuses to accept mediocrity, and she's even drawn into volunteering at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. Unaccountably, it's her mother who seems to be struggling--ready to give up and move them again just when Charlotte has finally found a sense of home. Then the museum is vandalized, Charlotte is blamed--and the resulting fallout teaches her to recognize the truth about herself, her family, and her friends. Tougas maintains Charlotte's first-person point of view in a way that allows readers, like Charlotte herself, to gradually realize where Charlotte's perceptions have been inaccurate or unfair. Strong characters and fast plotting propel readers to a sweet, realistic end that provides hope and a sense of stability--at least for the present time. Lovely. (Fiction. 8-12)

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October 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Moving is so routine for 12-year-old Charlotte that she can't keep all the places straight. Her writer mother uproots Charlotte and her siblings once again, this time moving them to Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood home in Walnut Creek, MN, after her mother claims Wilder's spirit visited her in a dream. Charlotte's life is turned around in unforgettable ways in this sweetly funny book. Smart and observant, Charlotte is also quite pessimistic, unlike her unfailingly optimistic mom and 11-year-old half-sister Rose. Charlotte's closeness with her hearing-impaired, nearly silent twin brother Freddy dissolves after he overcomes his shyness and makes some friends. Charlotte's class is required to write an essay about Laura Ingalls Wilder and describe her influence on their life and community. The book's title is Charlotte's response. To avoid making friends during lunch, Charlotte lies that she cheated on her essay, receives private tutoring from a caring teacher, and is made to work in the Wilder museum with Julia, the essay winner. When the museum is vandalized, Charlotte is blamed. Readers will relate to Charlotte's wariness of making friends, tendency to make snap judgements, and impulsiveness. VERDICT This sharp and quirky story winningly portrays a girl who, in finding herself, finds family, friends, and a place to belong.-Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

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