This is NOT a children's book and should not be listed at the reading level "ages 9 - 12". Years before Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House series about her childhood last century, she was a pioneer journalist, writing regular newspaper columns that provided commentary on everyday life in America. The columns, which ran from 1911-1925, discuss a variety of topics - from women & politics to the role of the mother in a home, from having a family motto to the effect of the end of WW1 on ordinary people, and through them all she exhibits a special insight and wisdom. This is a delightful collection that affords us the opportunity to see another side of Laura, in a career which she enjoyed for many years before she penned those famous novels of her childhood.