On the Banks of Plum Creek

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams

Romance and Poetry

Evaluation of Book

On the Banks of Plum Creek is the fourth book in the Little House series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Based on the adventures of Laura’s pioneer family this book won a Newbery Honor in 1938. This classic book has captivated readers and like the other books in the series are written from the third person point of view. On the Banks of Plum Creek tells about the spirit that helped to build our country and features black and white illustrations by Garth Williams.

The illustrations provided by Williams help the reader understand life for Laura out on the prairie. As this is a chapter book there aren’t an abundance of illustrations. However, the drawings that do exist help to extend the text and create an understanding for the reader to a time that is so different from today. His use of charcoal and graphite pencils illustrate the simple times of the Ingalls family.

In this story Laura’s family travels by covered wagon from her home in Kansas to a sod house on the banks of Plum Creek in Minnesota. Laura shares the good and the bad times of life in the sod house. She talks about going to school, grasshoppers that destroy the crops and how Pa gets lost during the four day blizzard. The story ends with Christmas Eve being celebrated by the family. It’s a plot that takes the reader on a journey back in time.

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Response

I’m from South Dakota and so as a child I visited Laura’s homestead in DeSmet. However, I chose On the Banks of Plum Creek because as an adult I lived near this sod house in Minnesota. Every summer a play about Laura’s life was held near the small town of Walnut Creek on the prairie where Laura and her family worked and played. I loved attending it and being reminded of this series I read multiple times as a child.

Another connection I made with this text was when Pa got stuck during the terrible blizzard. Living in the Midwest I have lived through many blizzards and the challenges that they bring. When I was 6 years old, we had the worst blizzard I can remember. We were stuck on the farm for 5 days. My dad had to dig tunnels to get to barn to milk the cows and feed the calves. I could always understand Laura when she described that big storm.

Conclusion

I still have my entire series of Laura Ingalls Wilder books. The pages are yellowing but the story of a pioneer family that works hard to create a new life still lives boldly on the pages. It is a classic that I think other readers will enjoy also.

Citation

Wilder, L. I., & Williams, G. (1965). On the banks of Plum Creek. Newly illustrated, uniform ed. New York: Harper & Row.