Caddie Woodlawn

Talk about a blast from one's past....

Being a bit bored tonight, I thought I would hop over to the Wisconsin Book Festival website and see if the 2005 schedule was finally up. It's not, despite promises at their website that the schedule "will be released in early August". For those who might have lost track of time, it's now the end of August, almost into September, and the WBF is in October. Since the info wasn't up, I followed the link there over to Portal Wisconsin, which is a site listing "cultural" events around the state. At top of the list for August 25 it says Pioneer Days: The "Real" Life of Caddie Woodlawn.

Wow! I haven't thought of that book in ages. Growing up, one of my most-read books was Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, about a Wisconsin pioneer family. For those with absolutely NO clue about Wisconsin history or who Caddie Woodlawn was, here's the info that was posted at Portal:


The book "Caddie Woodlawn," written by Carol Ryrie Brink, is based on stories told to her by her grandmother about the real-life Woodhouse family and their experiences as some of the very first settlers on the western Wisconsin frontier from about 1863 to 1866.

The book won the John Newbery Medal in 1935 and has since been a young adult fiction classic, along with the Little House in the Big Woods books about Caddie's contemporary, Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Mary Ellen Brue brings history to life with a dramatization of her great-grandmother, who was Caddie Woodlawn's teacher. Mary Ellen provides information about the "real" people in the book and compares the contrasting life styles of Caddie Woodlawn and Laura Ingalls Wilder, as she provides general information about Wisconsin pioneers.

Her presentation includes information about her hands-on display of antiques and clothing.
Date: August 25, 2005
Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center
Ashland, WI

Almost makes me wish I wasn't in the very southern part of the state -- Ashland is way up north, near Lake Superior, and definitely not a day trip. Pity...this sounds like it would be an interesting event.


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