Little House on the Prairie Reading Order (Before the Netflix Reboot)

Netflix’s reboot of Little House on the Prairie arrives in 2026, introducing a new generation to Laura Ingalls. If it sends you to the source, here is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic series in order.

The reading order

1. Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
2. Farmer Boy (1933)
3. Little House on the Prairie (1935)
4. On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937)
5. By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939)
6. The Long Winter (1940)
7. Little Town on the Prairie (1941)
8. These Happy Golden Years (1943)
9. The First Four Years (1971, published posthumously)

Where to start

Start with Little House in the Big Woods, which introduces the Ingalls family. Farmer Boy follows Almanzo Wilder’s childhood and can be read in sequence or skipped to later — many readers slot it where it sits chronologically.

Read in order

These are best read in order; Laura ages across the series and the later books carry real emotional weight, especially The Long Winter.

A note for new readers

The books are products of their time and contain dated attitudes the Netflix series will likely reframe. They remain a landmark of American children’s literature and a vivid window into frontier life.