Across the Rolling River

I loved the continueing story of Caroline Quiner Ingalls. Knowing the history of Laura Ingalls mother and the kind of life she led was fasinating reading.

Caroline is coming of age, and learning that there are many challenges of coming of age. She learns that it is not just play, and not just taking it easy now. She must take on some of the duties that other young ladies take on, and also must learn to act like a lady. Her curiosity about a boy continues her whim of wanting to know more about him. If you would like to read more about Caroline and her budding friendship with Charles then this is the book for you to read.

Okay, let me first start off by saying that I love the cover on this book. I know the whole saying, but you can still love the cover, can't you? After all, it IS one of the nicer and well-illustrated covers I've seen in ages. But I also love Celia Wilkins's way of writing Caroline, especially this book in the series. I've read it so many times, it's not funny. Caroline is now eleven at the start of this book. She is now at thinking about other things, like the things that she used to enjoy and loved to do now start to make her think if she really wants to. She sometimes feels torn between being a child and acting as 'funny' as her older sister by trying to be grown-up. Her love for learning still goes on, with the new teacher, called Miss May, boards with her family. She loves her new teacher, and all of the things she does, like reading to her, and helping her with other things. What I like best (and what many others can agree) is that a boy by the name of Charlie Ingalls enters the picture. Caroline and her brother Henry find him 'playin' with the birds,' and the Quiners and the Ingallses build a frinedship. Caroline likes the family, and even wonders 'why Charlie would make her want to giggle when she was determined to spell him down.' I think this is the best book in the Caroline years so far (mostly because of Charlie, of course), because the family is seeing nice times, and that Celia Wilkins shows she can do a good job with carrying on the 'Little House' legend.

This is an excellent book that, if you don't have any plans for the next few hours, I'd sit down and read! You can't put this book down for a second, not even to answer the phone! I want to see more books about Caroline out on the market soon, I've been waiting for over a year now since this book came out!

After reading the first four "Caroline years" books by Maria D. Wilkes, I was surprised to find a new Caroline book by a different author. But, if it weren't for the name on the cover, I wouldn't have noticed, as her writing style seems exactly the same. The books are not exactly suspenseful, but they're lively and pleasant. In this fun addition, Caroline meets her new neighbors across the river, including Charles Ingalls, the boy she would eventually marry. (In real life, Caroline's brother Henry married Charles' sister Polly, and Caroline's sister Eliza married Charles' brother Peter, so the two families were well-acquainted indeed!) If you've enjoyed other Caroline books, or just the little house series, you'll enjoy this one too.