In the Land of the Big Red Apple

In the Land of the Big Red Apple is adventurous and suspenseful. Rose and her Mama and Papa moved to Missouri and left her Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Mary, Aunt Carry, and Aunt Grace in De Smet because of a drought. Rose's best friend was Alva. Alva hated town girls. Rose's Papa had a hired hand. His name was Abe. Abe lived in a rented shack with his little brother Swiny. Abe and Swiny's mother and father had died. They met Abe when Papa caught Swiny stealing some of Mama's eggs. The next morning Abe came by to apologize. Then they harvested the last harvest. Then Mama and Rose baked and cooked for Thanksgiving. They invited the Coolys over for supper. The last thing Mama put on their plates was three kernels of corn to remind them of the Pilgrims. Then they said grace. After they ate Rose told Paul and George about a cave, but she wasn't allowed to go in it. Paul said, "They wouldn't know if we do so let's go." They went inside the cave and got really muddy. They got in big trouble when they got back. It was time to go back to school. Rose saw Blanche, her school friend. Rose's Papa came and picked Rose up from school. Papa said, "Why Rose you're lips are blue and you're shivering." When Rose got home he said, "Go sit by the fire." Soon it was Rose's birthday! Mama kept looking out the window but wouldn't let Rose. When it was time for chores her Mama wouldn't let her do her chores. When Papa came inside he said, "Go outside and have a look." There was a donkey outside with a new saddle! A little while after Rose's birthday was a terrible ice storm! It was hard getting around. You had to put cloth on your shoes. Their orchard barely made it. Abe was sparking with Effie, Alva's older sitter. Then Abe asked Effie if she would marry him. Will Effie marry Abe? I recommend this book, because it shows you what it was like when Rose was a little girl compared to now.

In the Land of the Big Red Apple is a GREAT book! Rose begins to adjust to her new home in Missouri at Rocky Ridge Farm. She gets a new donkey named Spookendyke for her ninth birthday, a huge ice storm hits, she gets to celebrate her first real Christmas in the Ozarks, and her parents bulid a new house.

I love THE LAURA INGALLS YEARS and the ROSE YEARS. In the later ROSE books, Rose is a little more fiesty and romantical...it builds up as the series goes along, so this is more for pre-teens and teens later on. Otherwise it is very wholesome and fun; Rose is interesting, and has many ideas about the world! I have all the LAURA YEARS books except THE FIRST FOUR YEARS and all the ROSE books except ON THE BANKS OF THE BAYOU (my fave) and BACHELOR GIRL (haven't read that yet)....

The girl was quite a firecracker. Again, just as charming as Little House, but the storytelling is a bit more complex and more reflective of who Rose was. This series truly equals the charm and storytelling of Laura's story. Kudos to those who thought to bring this series to print.

This book continues the adventures of Rose, Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter. Rose makes new friends and begins to adjust to life in her new home. A must read for all Little House fans.