| Title | : | Laddie: A True Blue Story (Library of Indiana Classics) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0253204585 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780253204585 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 416 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1913 |
Laddie: A True Blue Story (Library of Indiana Classics) Reviews
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I've read this, oh, about 9 times ... and if that doesn't convince you that this is pure amazingness than maybe I should mention my favorite part ...
Like when Leon has to memorize a Bible verse for church and his mom doesn't double check to see what he chose ... and what ensues is, well, ... let's just say the congregation was never the same... 😂
Or when Little Sister goes on a tiger hunt with the unsuspecting neighbor...
The time when Leon and Little Sister read about a hanging in the newspaper and wondered what it might feel like ...
How about when the kids were told to feed the geese and yeah, it was fed very well...
Although the spelling bee was a great moment too ... oh and the wedding, and when the country school teacher arrives ...
Sigh. It'll put you in stitches. It's wonderful; read it! Then let's chat!
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on Etsy! -
I loved this book because it is the ideal life that I would love my kids to live...on a small family farm, working the land into something beautiful...the family all coming together for every life event...all the women learn everything they should learn about caring for their own home and raising children before they leave home...they all receive a superior education in addition to what they learn in school because their parents are so well educated in classic literature.... I just love everything about this book. It's a good model for how to raise a happy, well-educated family.
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I just reread this favorite and tried to pay attention to why I like it so much. It certainly can be a bit wordy and tedious in descriptions at points, unless you Really relate to the descriptions of nature and surrounding. Which I usually do I guess. It can also be rather glorified and idealistic when describing some of the characters. But overall I think I just really admire how the family lives life. I think they live each moment to the fullest, putting their whole hearts into it. They cry when they mourn, they cry when the rejoice, they refrain from crying when publicly ridiculed, and they are so unified and tender in their feelings for each other as a family. I think when I feel really emotional I tend to feel embarrassed and regretful later, but these people unabashedly live life, and I wonder if there is something to that.
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I really love the natural education of little sister. I love how she has so many poems of the McGuffey readers memorized.
I love how well trained the characters of little sisters family are. I cant get over this remark by mother"with all of our twelve never has there been one who and nine months of age did not stop crying if it's father lifted his finger, or tapped his foot and told it to."
Mother speaks about educating her children to Mr. Pryor "From the start we have rigorously guarded our speech and actions before them. From the first tiny baby my husband has taught all of them to read, write and cipher some, before they went to school at all. He is always watching, observing, studying: the earth, the stars, growing things; he never comes to a meal but he has seen something that he has or will study out for all of us. There never has been one day in our home on which he did not read a new interesting article from book or paper; work out a big problem, or discuss some phase of politics, religion, or war. Sometimes there has been a little of all or it in one day, always reading , spelling, and memory exercises at night. He has a sister who twice in her life has repeated the Bible as a test before a committee. He, himself, can go through the New Testament and all of the Old save the books of the generations. He always says he considers it a waste of gray matter to learn them. He has been a schoolmaster, his home his school room, his children, wife and helpers his pupils; the common things of life as he meets them every day, the books from which we learn."
Well there is a great quote about how to educate your children if I have ever heard one :).
Books like these makes me long for the old times. And inspires me in new ways to bring what was good about those days back into my life today. -
I grew up reading the classics, mostly from my Grandfather's library, but it was my Dad who introduced me to S-P. His favorite books growing up were Freckles, Laddie, and anything by Horatio Alger. :) Re-reading Laddie and Freckles many years later I can understand why my Father loved them, and see how the boy who delighted in these stories chock-full of natural history became the man who swerved the plow to miss a nest of baby rabbits in a field and came home every day reporting on their growth. Laddie, especially, is a paean to rural living and S-P fills her books with details of birds, trees, insects and flowers.
Laddie is told by "Little Sister", the youngest of a family of 12 children, and centers around her experiences as the older ones grow up, fall in love and marry. The MC loves being outside more than anything - except her big brother Laddie, who is her hero. Like other books of this time period the family life is idealized, especially when it deals with the parents and life on the farm, though there are disagreements among the children, troubles and some heartbreak, but more laughter and fun.
There are times when I just can't find a book that pleases me. I may try one after another, but they all feel shallow and superficial. Then I know I need to step back and read the books I grew up with, the older stories full of sentiment, true affections and ideals. Books written for people who don't hate description and laugh at talk of God and prayer, and know that there are many types of love, and none of them are lust. Also, books that can make me smile. This is one of those books, and I've enjoyed reading it over the years, when I need a touch of sunshine and nature. It's a clean, wholesome story you can read with pleasure, to yourself or aloud to your family. -
I wanted to read this after I finished the Gene Stratton Porter biography that I read last week called "Nature's Storyteller." I was struck by how many small little details that Gene included in Little Sister's character and life that were straight out of Gene's own life (not enjoying her Saturday night hair washing, taming birds to the point of dressing them in little clothes, her adoration of her parents and just so much more). The same with her family and certain incidents in their lives. The property described, the church they sold land to, the incident with Little Sister at school where she told the teacher she was wrong about a fact-- these are all true and straight from Gene's life.
Much of the story is fiction too, for in real life, Gene's beloved older brother Laddie died when she was a little girl. I like to think that this book is the way that Gene would have wished for things to have been had her valiant Laddie lived on. -
Another re-reading of Laddie only cements it as one of my favorite books of all time. As it is said to be based on Gene Stratton-Porter's childhood, I can only wish I had known her family. The values espoused by her parents deserve to be emulated. If you have never read this book, you are missing a great treat.
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A goodie from 1913. A story that Little Sister tells about her large-sized family, but most specifically, about her older brother whom she simply adores, Laddie.
It is a rather "pretty" type of story from the late 1800s in Indiana. Written in descriptive prose, similar in style to perhaps L.M. Montgomery or Louisa May Alcott (a favorite type of writing style for me!). It contains many great lessons pertaining to a loving family and an Almighty God. I enjoyed how much of the family's Christian faith was infused into the entire book.
The descriptions and textual imagery are perfect, providing an authentic "country" kind of feel the story, and often describing gorgeous nature scenes so perfectly, I can see it before my eyes. Quality values and old-fashioned traditions seep through the pages. Whatever the predicament or joyous occasion taking place, you're always rooting for Little Sister and for Laddie.
Laddie stooped down to kiss me good-bye and he said: "Don't cry, Little Sister. The way to be happy is to be good." (CHAPTER XVII, Laddie)
This is the epitome of wholesome literature.
If you like reading ebooks, grab a free copy of Laddie from Amazon or Project Gutenberg! -
I just finished reading this gem aloud to my kids, and out of the dozens and dozens of read aloud books we've done I'm sure this is our favorite. (Little Britches would be a close second.) Unlike some readers who've understandably needed more time to connect with the book, we all loved it from the start. Little Sister's innocent devotion to her older brother and her passion for nature and family, as well as a startling spiritual maturity made us all enjoy her right away. The family is a certain kind of ideal that makes me sad for our weaknesses but also inspires us to treasure our family more. The kids all enjoyed the comedic moments and the drama. My girls loved the courtships. My oldest correctly predicted the ending, but it only made it more satisfying for her. It's a wonderful hidden treasure of classic children's literature. This book would probably be receptive read aloud to kids already accustomed to read-alouds. I would also recommend saving this one for pre-teen ages and up.
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I adored this book. This might be my favorite GSP book I’ve read. Beautifully written from the perspective of Little Sister, humorous and endearing. If you enjoy Lucy Maud Montgomery, don’t miss Gene Stratton-Porter’s Laddie!
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I love the type of story that makes me long for the simpler times, aka my childhood. The narrator (Little Sister) is sweet, precocious, adventurous, and very imaginative. I really enjoyed the way she found things to entertain herself, the way she made friends, and the way she absolutely adored her older brother, Laddie.
As stated in the blurb, this story is a double tale and the romance is sweet. This story has all the feel-goods and each chapter is a mini story in itself. I enjoyed my time spent within the pages of this endearing and charming book. -
While I found the beginning 150 pages slow, I was encouraged to keep going and I am ever so glad I did!
May 2019: 😍😍😍 -
What a delightful book! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with all the characters and both Mrs. Stanton and Little Sister have been added to my favorite female characters in books!
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A friend recently reminded me that this book existed, and I’m glad he did, since I was kind of on a GSP stint anyway. This is one of the better books I’ve read in a long time. It has all of the strengths of Porter’s other books (beautiful descriptions and good characters) and avoids most of their flaws (some Victorian melodrama), throwing in a genuinely fun series of stories about childhood life on a farm in the way back when.
I think one reason for the success of this book is its POV: it’s told from the first person perspective of a little girl too young for romance herself, who watches her older siblings (and especially her beloved brother Laddie) navigate it and the rest of adult life instead. It keeps the melodrama at bay, especially since she is such a down to earth little person herself, and has such an entertaining narrative voice.
The plot winds a little, but not torturously - it actually reminded me in many ways of Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, with a lot of vignette-type stories strung together. But there is a common thread keeping them all cohesive, and by the end of the book you realize that each story was important in accomplishing the resolution, even if it didn’t seem so at the time.
Was there still some idealism? Sure. It’s still recognizably Victorian in style and execution. But it helps to know that much of the material is autobiographical; you just couldn’t make some of this stuff up, and the real people dealing with real difficulties in real relationships and situations with real humor and grace and faith far outweighs any of those problems. It’s a book that made me want to be a better person. You just can’t find many of those anymore. -
I am fan of Gene Stratton Porter. Unlike Freckles which had my attention right away, Laddie took quite a bit of effort for me to connect with in the first 30% of the book. In fact, had this book not come so highly recommended by so many readers I deeply respect, I might never have persevered through what I considered to be an overly drawn out and boring text. Once I read the bit about the underground station, I thought that I smelled promise. By the end of Sally's wedding, I knew that this was going somewhere. After Even So, Laddie had catapulted to one of my favorite books on family life and education.
Once the complex story line and cast of characters was set up, this book became a highly instructive gem on living well. Written in a voice like Understood Betsy with the family values of Little Britches, strong female characters and practical faith of Little Women, naturalist tendencies of Freckles and the wholesome home education of Little Men, this classic is really about stewardship. The wise stewarding of faith, family, earth, resources and relationships.
Many have suggested that the ending is unexpected but having read Freckles, I saw it coming and enjoyed the anticipation. -
Laddie is one of my all time favorite books. It is written from Little Sister's point of view and with a strong Methodist background.
It gave my family so much to discuss. Some of my favorite lessons were how Laddie treated the situation between Little Sister and the school teacher. Even though Little Sister was right, she shouldn't have reacted the way she did. We LOVED how Laddie cared for Little Sister and because of his love, she would do anything he asked of her. Great lesson for our family. Even in a room full of his friends, he was still mindful of her. I loved how Mother explained the joy of working the land to Mr. Pryor. I loved how being a farmer was compared to being a lawyer and why farming was superior. I think we need to sing around the house more. Oh, wait, I need to take voice lessons. ;)
Definitely one to reread. LOVED it! -
I finally "GET" what all the fuss is about (among my fellow home educators group) regarding this book. To quote a fellow homeschooling mom - this book has given me a higher vision for me and my family. Its absolutely FABULOUS and its a classic through and through... AND one that I will have to purchase for our own library....
Just got this through an interlibrary loan (which means I can't renew it) - which means Anna Karenina goes on the back burner while I read Laddie! -
I just fangirled hard over this book. I would do anything to be able to live in this book!
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Loved this one...especially the character of Leon.
Reader was decent for a nonprofessional. -
Laddie: A True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter is a lot like my mystery favorite The Mystery of Hunting's End. No, it's not a crime novel. But I have loved this book for a very long time for a lot of reasons. Like Hunting's End, it came in a box of books from my Grandma. It's a first edition--but it's a well-loved, well-used first edition. The spine covering was none too firm when it arrived and it fell off altogether before I'd managed to read it the first time. I taped up the binding to keep it as protected as possible and then proceeded to read and reread it.
When I was young, I longed for a brother. I grew up with two boy cousins who I adored and there would have been nothing finer, in my opinion, than to have a brother. When I read Laddie...all about Little Sister and how she loved her big brother best of all and what a fine young man Laddie was...well, I wanted a brother just like Laddie. My cousins were pretty good substitutes, I must say. They treated their younger cousin pretty well--and they were the next best thing since I had no brothers of my own,.
And, not only did Laddie remind me of my cousins, but Gene Stratton-Porter's stories took place in my neck of the woods. Little Sister (whose real name is never mentioned) talks about her father selling apples and other goods in Ft. Wayne--which was only an hour away from where I lived. It was the first book I read that took place in Indiana--and in the very area where I grew up.
Laddie's story is a very sweet, family-oriented one. Laddie and Little Sister are part of a huge family with twelve children and a mother and father who love each other and their children with all their hearts and who love God most of all. Their main Christian precept is that God is Love and they show their love to their family, their friends, their neighbors, and even the strangers who come to live and resist becoming part of the community. It is a very idealistic view of family life in the late 1800s--but it is very nice to think that folks could really be that way. That they could live the Golden Rule and yet be strong people who stand up for their own.
The story is also about Laddie and his love for the strangers' lovely daughter. It's about his efforts to break through their resistance and show them what friendship and love are all about. It's about faith...faith in your friends, faith in your family, and faith in God to see you through. And....actually there is a bit of a mystery. The strangers....the Pryors have a secret trouble. It's a trouble that keeps them to themselves and makes Mrs. Pryor white-faced, weak, and heart-broken. It's a mystery that will have to be solved before Laddie can have his girl and the Pryors can truly become part of the community. And Little Sister plays a major role in helping the happy ending come about.
There are some stories that having read them when you are young, you just can't go back to. Either you've outgrown them or you've since read other books that make them seem unlikely or something has happened to change your point of view. Whatever it may be....it's just not the same. When I sat down to read Laddie, it was like 30-some years just fell away. The story was just as dear and appealing as it was all those years ago when I longed for a big brother like Laddie. Five stars for a lovely trip down memory lane and a memorable story that has stood the test of time.
First posted on my blog
My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. -
I really enjoyed this book, although I kept waiting for Laddie to die. I figured since he was so wonderful he had to die. But he didn't. I'm glad.
This was an interesting story in and of itself, but I particularly loved the glimpses of how the parents educated their children in various areas - religion, housework, farming, geography, etc. I loved the routines and ideas. I enjoyed her thoughts that children learn about nature by being in nature, about geography by visiting lakes and mountains and such. The family in the story have the kind of life I'd love to have - a working farm, lots of fruit trees and a big garden, lots of land for kids to explore, dedication to religion and learning and family. They just LOVED each other and it was a joy to read about a functional family.
If I could just be as organized..... -
This is the delightful story of a loving family narrated from the perspective of the "Little Sister." The story was published in 1913 and probably takes place in the mid to late 1800's. We get to appreciate Little Sister's love of the land, the birds, her family and particularly her love and devotion to her oldest brother and hero, Laddie.
While we enjoy seeing how a loving family associates, disciplines, and cares for one another with a love and belief of God and the Savior, we also see some contrasting views of a family whose father has forsaken God and the poison he carries while holding a long grudge.
The ending may be a little too perfect in some ways, but it is delightful nonetheless. Crow, Bobby, crow!! -
I usually don't re-read books, but I first read Laddie years ago, and it was the selection for my book group. I must say I enjoyed it a lot more this time. It's true that the first time you read the book, mainly you are interested in the plot. The second time, you can enjoy the characters more and any foreshadowing is more meaningful.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an uplifting book. -
I LOVED this book TREMENDOUSLY and hope to read it again very soon. The little anecdotes of home life from our narrators point of view were beautiful. I loved the homey feel to this book. It was just precious. Also the plot was interesting and the twist exciting. I recommend this book WARMLY.
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I've read this multiple times, always finding something 'new' to enjoy.
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This book was an amazing look into the past, with so much heart. But I found the Strattons to be insufferably self-righteous. At turns I was engrossed and then wondering will this ever end.
