Little House by Boston Bay

by Melissa Wiley

Little House: The Charlotte Years (1), Little House Novels, Chronological Order (The Charlotte Years — book 5)

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Living with her family near Boston, five-year-old Charlotte Tucker, who would grow up to become the grandmother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, feels the effects of the War of 1812.

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7 reviews
I loved this. Reading any of the Little House books has such nostalgia for me, and I’m glad people have expanded it to include the women that came before Laura Ingalls. Though much of this had to be pieced together through research and it doesn’t accurately reflect who Charlotte may have been as a person, it’s interesting to see how someone might have lived in the early 1800s in Boston. I especially liked how it isn’t sugarcoated to be without conflict; the War of 1812 is a hot topic with Charlotte’s family and is actively talked about.

Overall, I found this book to be a nice, quick read that was in keeping with the other Little House books. Charlotte has such a curious and adventurous spirit — she’s a joy to read about, show more and I’m sure that children will appreciate her imagination (I certainly would have devoured this book as a child!). The incorporation of little history facts is also well done; the book details how to make certain foods and how a brick oven was used at this time. I love when good stories can also be educational. Anyone with an interest in history will find this story fascinating for that reason.

Definitely pick this up if you have a little one around in need of a good book! Laura Ingalls and historical fiction fans will especially enjoy this one.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.
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Surprisingly rich with political and cultural history, but ultimately not engaging enough to rate higher - it ended on a 'cliffhanger' and yet I don't feel motivated to find the next book.
None of the other "Little House Years" books are as good as the ones about Laura but other then the Laura books I prefer the Martha books but the Charlotte books are a close third for me. I am from the Boston area so I enjoy reading about this region of the world plus the descriptions are excellent.
This is the story of 5 year old Charlotte, who eventually became the grandmother of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She lives in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Her parents were both Scottish immigrants. The grownups are all talking about the War of 1812, particularly about the blockade in the Boston Harbor. She goes to school for the first time, making a new friend. Still the war rages on. It's a nice story, but I found it less engaging the Wilder's books.
It's 1814 and Charlotte lives just outside the city of Boston. She always has something to look forward to--tending Mama's garden, visiting Papa's blacksmith shop, and embarking on her very own Scottish adventure!
Charlotte, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s grandmother, is a little girl growing up near Boston during the War of 1812. She takes care of her little sister and has adventures by herself and with her older brothers and sister.

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Author Information

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29+ Works 6,438 Members

Melissa Wiley is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.

Series

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Little House by Boston Bay
Original publication date
1999
People/Characters
Charlotte Tucker Quiner; Lewis Tucker; Martha Morse Tucker; Lydia Tucker; Thomas Tucker; Mary Tucker (show all 10); Lewis Tucker jr.; Will Payson; Amelia Heath; Susan Custer
Important places
Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Massachusetts, USA; Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA
Important events
War of 1812
Dedication
For Kate and Erin
First words
Mama looked out the kitchen window and said, "Time to get these beans on the plate, Charlotte."
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It could go anywhere, see everything, and Charlotte wished with all her heart that she could go with it and see what it saw, out there in the wide world beyond Washington Street.

Classifications

Genres
Kids, Fiction and Literature, Children's Books
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PZ7 .W64814 .LLanguage and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresJuvenile belles lettres
BISAC

Statistics

Members
698
Popularity
40,717
Reviews
7
Rating
(3.77)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
9
ASINs
5