THE CHICKENHOUSE HOUSE

Moving back in time, Howard presents Alena of Sister (1990) in a book for younger children. The family is building their own home on the prairie just an hour from Grandfather's farm, but first they spend a crowded winter at the new site in the just- built chickenhouse. Little Alena is twice uprooted: first from Grandfather's bustling big house, then from the cozy little building where she's learned to feel at home. This simple story doesn't have the splendid sense of place of Wilder's pioneer stories, which are told in equally simple language; we never find out where the house is, or when (though several clues suggest the end of the last century). There are other unanswered questions, like why the family moves in the fall when the house can't be built until spring—what is Father doing all winter? Still, the warm characterization of the family rings true, while Alena's ultimate affection for the chickenhouse is nicely dramatized in a poignant final scene. Engaging historical fiction. (Fiction/Young readers. 7-10)