By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Why read the book?

The family has been through hard times. Mary got sick and lost her sight. The grasshoppers ate everything. Now Pa hears about work in Dakota Territory and the family moves west again. Laura has to be Mary's eyes and describe everything she sees.

They travel by train for the first time and arrive at a railroad camp where Pa works. The land is wide and empty and beautiful. Silver Lake shines in the sun. Pa files a homestead claim and the family spends the winter alone in the surveyors' house. Laura is growing up fast and she knows her family needs her more than ever.

Favourite quote

The lake lay smooth and bright blue in the sunshine, and beyond it the prairies stretched away, a soft green carpet to the sky.

What I Loved

This book felt like a turning point. Laura was not a little girl anymore. She had to help Ma more because Mary could not see. The way Laura described things to Mary was beautiful. She noticed every colour, every bird, every cloud because she was seeing it for both of them.

The train ride was exciting. Laura had never been on a train before and everything was new and fast. I loved the part where they lived alone in the surveyors' house all winter. It was just the family in the middle of the empty prairie. Silver Lake sounded so peaceful and pretty. But the best part was feeling Laura grow stronger. She was becoming the person who would one day write all these wonderful books.

Key Takeaway

When someone you love cannot see the world, you learn to see it more clearly for them.

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