DEAR LAURA

The subtitle tells it all; the first and later readers of the Little House books wrote letters that Wilder answered and saved, along with their drawings, photographs, and poems, right up to the last years of her life. The book tells more about the children than about Wilder: Hundreds of them wrote to her because they lived in or visited states mentioned in her books; many told of their grandparents' memories of the same harsh winters or "grasshopper" summers. City children—especially during WW II—wrote how much they enjoyed thinking about a different time and place. The content of most of the letters is similar; until her rheumatism worsened, Wilder answered all of them personally—after that, a standard letter (included) was sent. What emerges is a glimpse of the bond between the author and her readers that will send all but the hard-hearted back into the Little House books for another round. The letters are attractively presented, some in facsimile, interspersed with photographs of Wilder and the artwork of many of the children. A list of museums and newsletters is appended. (Nonfiction. 8+)