Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Lexile measure: 930, but generally an easier read than Little House on the Prairie
Bottom line: Classic for a reason, this series may bother some children who are sensitive about animals being killed for food or other realities of pioneer life.
Language: Acceptable, no potty language or swearing
Violence: Food preparation, including butchering of baby animals--not gory, but matter of fact. Pa regularly carries a gun for hunting and in case of attack by wild animal. In one story, Pa is chased by a panther and the horse is scratched up. Laura also gets whipped when she hits her sister--the context is not a whipping out of anger, but of discipline by a loving parent. Another child is also whipped for lying, and that same child is stung all over by wasps.
Big Kid Mature Topics: smoking, one uncle has returned "wild" after running away to join the army during the Civil War. He doesn't really do anything very wild other than dancing and playing the bugle. Also, many comments about how golden hair is prettier than brown hair, with a section dealing with why this isn't so.
Illustrations: Black and white drawings with shading, every few pages.
Plot: moderately complex
This book may not be for the sensitive young reader, but mine had no problem with it, even though she won't even let me kill a bug in the house. Actually, she ran around the house using a stick as a gun for a while, which was a little disturbing (but she stopped after a couple of weeks). And later, she told me that she wished she had "golden" hair even after persistent reassurances that we love her hair the way it is. I think the writing is excellent children's literature and appropriate for all ages, but I know some kids just can't take some of the story, so "parental guidance is advised" :)
Update: I think my little girl may be obsessed. When talking about the local Indian restaurant (as in, food from South Asia), she comment on how it has a lot of "buffalo meat"!
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