Caddie Woodlawn

A thoroughly enjoyable read, all my kids liked this one! I did too. Now that I've finished it, I completely understand the quote from Jim Trelease on the back cover of the book: “You take Little House on the Prairie, I'll take Caddie Woodlawn”.

The Newbery Award committee members seem to love a strong girl and Caddie is among the strongest. She roams and tarries with her ruffian brothers on the wild plains of Wisconsin around the time of the American Civil War. Caddie plays practical jokes on her cousin, runs to the Indians to warn of a massacre, and proudly displays an Indian scalp belt for all the town to see. Caddie finally begins to see that becoming a lady is not just learning to quilt and say the right words and wear fancy clothes.

TIL that The Little House on the Prairie series aren't the only once-beloved childhood books that were stunningly racist and sexist.