Our Recommended Reading for Children & Young Adults and Recommended Reading for Adults articles have been popular resources for readers interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie. Here is a brief overview of Little Town in the Ozarks.

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Author: Roger Lea MacBride
Illustrator: David Gilleece
Publisher: HarperCollins (August 30, 1996)

Synopsis:
The Little House books have captivated generations of readers with their story of the little pioneer girl Laura Ingalls growing up on the American frontier. Now the Little House story continues with The Rocky Ridge Years, books that tell the story of Laura and Almanzo Wilder’s daughter, Rose. The first four books in the Series, Little House on Rocky Ridge, Little Farm In The Ozarks, In The Land Of The Big Red Apple, and On The Other Side Of the Hill, describe the Wilders’ covered-wagon journey to Missouri and their first three years in their new farmhouse. Little Town In The Ozarks continues their story, as hard times on the farm force Rose and her family to move to the town of Mansfield. Life in town is so different from living on Rocky Ridge Farm that Rose wonders if she will ever learn to like the hustle and bustle of town life. Little Town In The Ozarks continues the story that Laura Ingalls Wilder began more than sixty years ago — a story whose wonder and adventure have charmed millions of readers.

About the Author: Roger Lea MacBride
Roger Lea MacBride, the “adopted grandson” and heir of Rose Wilder Lane, was born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1929.  His father, Burt MacBride, was an editor for Reader’s Digest when Rose wrote for the magazine, and he introduced his teenage son to the author.  Roger loved to listen to Rose’s stories and political theories, and the two became close.  MacBride received the rights to the Little House books upon Rose’s death in 1968.  In 1971, he had Laura’s manuscript of The First Four Years published, and in 1974, he edited her letters to Almanzo in 1915 and published them as West From Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco 1915.  In Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story he used her letters and diaries as source material to create a semi-autobiographical account of her life.  A continuation of the Little House series with Rose as the main character has been published under the name of Roger Lea MacBride.  MacBride provided some input into this fictionalized series, which includes: Little House on Rocky Ridge, Little Farm in the Ozarks, In the Land of the Big Red Apple, On the Other Side of the Hill, Little Town in the Ozarks, New Dawn on Rocky Ridge, On the Banks of the Bayou, and Bachelor Girl.  He was also an active participant in the creation of the television shows “Little House on the Prairie” and “Young Pioneers.”

About the Illustrator: David Gilleece
David Gilleece is an illustrator and freelance photographer who created the illustrations for all of the Rocky Ridge series titles.  He obtained his BFA in fashion design and illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology (New York City), and studied fine art and illustration at the Art Students League and School of Visual Arts, also in New York City.  He works for Winans Kuenstler Publishing, LLC, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania where he currently lives.

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