Laura Ingalls Wilder

Brett sent me a link today stating that the American Children's Librarian Association voted unanimously to take Laura Ingalls Wilder's name off of their highest children's author award.  They stated that they did this because of her stereotypical portrayal of other races in her Little House on the Prairie series.  I had to read that statement over and over again to fully understand what it was saying.  I have read Wilder's series multiple times over the years starting when I was in first grade.  She was by far my favorite author growing up and I had encouraged Meg to read her books when she was in elementary as well.  I could not fathom how anyone could accuse Laura Ingalls of being a racist.  She wrote about what she lived at that time period.  Her vivid descriptions of being a pioneer made me wish that I had lived during that era when I was a child.  From her writings I understood that there was an Indian country and that families on the prairie had to be cautious when building homes in the west.  There were raids, but there were also relationships built.  Wilder wrote in detail about the Indian trail and watching the tribes walk by all while wishing she had her own papoose.  My heart broke as a little girl when the Ingalls family had to leave their favored home with real glass windows because the western territories redrew their borders and their prairie home was across the line in Indian territory.

The children's association obviously did not understand that children could actually relate to stories set in a different time period.  "Wilder's work is considered "controversial," because of how she speaks of her family's fear of Native American attacks, and her era-specific views on blacks. Intellectuals and historians might teach Wilder's works in the context of her upbringing, but, apparently, children's librarians are incapable of the same level of nuance."  This statement does a disservice to students and teachers everywhere.  An eight year old may not understand race relationships, but they do not base their opinions on a favored childhood book.  They can actually understand that the world was a different place one hundred and fifty years ago.  I know that because I have discussed the Little House on the Prairie series with my own daughter and many of my students.  They understand that blacks were treated differently during Wilder's lifetime in the same manner that they understand that the threat of locusts, prairie fires and harsh winter's have changed over that same time period.

It took me quite some time to get over the frustration I felt with this group.  Ultimately, it won't change my opinion of the Little House series.  The best part about reading those books was that I could learn about history without reading a history book.  It was the same reason why Jane Austen later became my favorite author, and why I tend to only read fiction set in other centuries.  In fact I just finished Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."  Not only was it well written, but it also gave me into an insight into Wilde's impression of love and marriage in the late 1800s Europe along with other social themes of the time.  Just as with Laura Ingalls Wilder I do not judge any authors' opinions of long ago based on today's knowledge.  If I did I would miss some wonderful works like "Les Miserables", "The Phantom of the Opera," "Ethan Frome" and so many more.