Pre-order at your local store today!

I'm thrilled to share my first book idea (from August 2014) will be a reality on July 7, 2020  August 4, 2020. (The date has been delayed due to COVID-19.) That's the release date of The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide.

Want to know more? Here are the basics about The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion.

Who: The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion is for all fans of the Little House books, but it's really written for children--the target audience of the Little House books. It's written by me, Annette Whipple, and published by Chicago Review Press.


What: 
(This is the description of the 240-page book.)
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion helps eager readers experience and discover Wilder’s books like never before. Author Annette Whipple encourages children to engage in pioneer activities while thinking deeper about the Ingalls and Wilder families as portrayed in the nine Little House books. This valuable companion provides brief introductions to each Little House book, chapter-by-chapter story guides, "Fact or Fiction" sidebars, plus 75 activities, crafts, and recipes that encourage kids to “Live Like Laura” using easy-to-find supplies. Thoughtful questions help the reader develop appreciation and understanding for stories. Every aspiring adventurer will enjoy this walk alongside Laura from the big woods to the golden years.

When: The official release date is July 7, 2020. BUT you can already pre-order it!

Where: LIW Companion will be available from all local bookstores. (If your favorite book shop doesn't carry it yet, just ask them to order it. They'll be happy to do so!) It will also be available at online retailers.

Why: I wrote The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion as a guide for children to help them understand the complicated history and issues in the Little House books. As a child, I thought Laura Ingalls Wilder exaggerated The Long Winter and the grasshoppers. (Spoiler alert: She was actually quite accurate despite the years that passed.) As I wrote the book, I wondered what else readers might suspect was fictionalized. That led me to create lots of sidebars called "Fact or Fiction?" I also wanted readers to be able to explore the pioneer world of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books through activities, crafts, and recipes. So, I included 75 of them.

How: If the world of Little House interests you or a child you know, I hope you'll consider reading The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion. If it's not in your budget (or interest) to buy the book, please request your library to order the book. (Or...buy the book AND request your library to order the book, too.) If you don't want to wait, you can pre-order from Chicago Review Press, Indie Bound, Bookshop (find your store there) or Amazon (affiliate).

Thanks for reading along! I'm grateful for your support.

P.S. I mentioned The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide will be my sixth book, though it was my first book idea. You can see all my books, including the seventh book, about owls, which will be out in fall 2020.