Farmer Boy PP

Progeny Press Gtudy Guide


Almanzo Wilder, almost nine years old, is the youngest of the four Wilder children. He's a farmer boy, living and working on his family's large farm in northern New York state. He attends a one-room schoolhouse when school is in session, but when there is work to be done--and there almost always is on the Wilder farm--Almanzo does his part to help his family make a living.



Each season has its own special chores on the farm. In the winter the Wilder family hauls wood and cuts ice from the river. Spring is the time for planting and tending to the crops. Summer is time for picking berries, but it also means time for fishing or a trip to town on Independence Day. Harvest time brings lots of hard work, but it also means a trip to the County Fair. And then it's time to prepare for Winter all over again.



Almanzo is old enough to feed and milk the cows and to help with the planting and harvesting. He even has a pair of young oxen he teaches to obey his commands. But he isn't yet old enough to care for the young horses. Although the temptation to handle them is great, Almanzo obeys his father and leaves the young horses alone.



Throughout the year the Wilder family works hard, and Almanzo seems to eat as much as he works. As the older children leave for school and begin to think about their futures, Almanzo knows what kind of future he wants. He wants to be a farmer for the rest of his life, and he dreams of the day he will have a colt of his own to train.




Progeny Press Study Guide: 66 pages

# of Lessons: 7 Chapter Lessons

Subjects: Patience, wealth, work, family, farm life

Grade Level: 4-6