By the Shores of Silver Lake

Originally published in 1939, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s By the Shores of Silver Lake is a middle-grade historical fiction novel and the fifth installment of the classic Little House series. Following the perspective of 12-year-old Laura Ingalls, the novel continues the adventures of the Ingalls family as they settle in the Dakota Territory during the late 19th century. Wilder’s largely autobiographical fiction draws from her childhood memories of pioneer life. The book received the Newbery Honor Award and explores themes of family, adolescence, and change.

This study guide refers to the e-book edition released by HarperCollins in 2016.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of homicide, dated and racist language toward Indigenous Americans, and ableism.

Plot Summary

In 1879, 12-year-old Laura Ingalls lives in Plum Creek, Minnesota, with her parents and three sisters. When the novel begins, the Ingalls’ spirits are weighed down by financial troubles and a recent bout of scarlet fever. The illness causes Laura’s older sister, Mary, to have blindness. Laura’s aunt and uncle unexpectedly offer Pa a promising job in Dakota Territory, but he must leave his family behind in Minnesota for a few months to secure his new position. The same morning that Pa sets out in his covered wagon, Laura’s beloved bulldog dies.