A middle grade novel by Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of beloved Little House author Laura Ingalls Wilder This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

Newlyweds Molly and David are only sixteen and eighteen years old when they pack up their wagon and head west across the plains in search of a new homestead. At first their new life is full of promise: The wheat is high, the dugout is warm and cozy, and a new baby is born to share in their happiness. Then disaster strikes, and David must go east for the winter to find work. Molly is left alone with the baby--with nothing but her own courage to face the dangers of the harsh prairie winter.