Similar to Wilder's "Little House" series, this tells of the early settlers of Wisconsin from the point of view of a young girl. This is worth reading in addition to Wilder's more popular books because it presents another ethnic view.
Anna is often teased (her father loves to have fun, when it doesn't interfere with work). When her brother tells her that you can hear seeds growing, she has to test it out--and she can! She learns to herd sheep (even thru a surprise hailstorm), knits mittens for the family cat who is keeping the mice out of their icehouse, celebrates Christmases and Independence Day, and shares the neighbors' sorrows when diphtheria strikes their community.
This ethnic group were strongly Catholic, and some of those practices are mentioned, which may put off some readers who don't like religion. ( )