37. Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie. 331 pages. 4.15.09.

Yes, Little House on the Prairie is very obviously a YA novel, but I'm calling it a classic. Really, I think it qualifies.

I have had a box set of the Little House books since I was a child, although I don't know that I ever got through the house series. Lately my son has been stealing Little House on the Prairie off the shelf, so I took it as a sign that I should revisit the books. The second book in the series, LHotP is just as charming as I remembered it. I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh at some of the cultural difference (for example, the emphasis placed on the fact that children are not allowed to speak at the dinner table), and was delighted by the care Wilder takes to explain basic construction, chores (etc) to an audience she knew might not be familiar with how settlers lived their lives. I will definitely have to add the series to the list of books I want to read to my children - I'm sure one day they will find these simple little stories as endearing as I do.