The only novel mentioned by title in the “Little House” series is in On the Banks of Plum Creek when Laura is trying to convince Ma that she doesn’t really have to go to school because she can already read.
She really can’t, but has heard Ma read aloud from Millbank by Mary J. Holmes so often that she has the beginning at least memorized. The author’s name isn’t mentioned in the text so full credit to Constructing the Little House by Ann Romines for pointing it out. I was excited to learn it was Holmes because she has a connection to my family (my grandmother was named for one of her characters from Homestead on the Hillside). So when I was trying to decide what to do for World Read Aloud Day I decided I couldn’t do better than to emulate Ma and read Millbank.
Listen to the first chapter of Millbank. You can either stream it from the website or download it for free from iTunes.
You can also buy your own copy of it used or from one of the out of copyright re-print houses or you can read it as an e-book.
Millbank e-book from Google Books
If you want to hear more, be sure to let me know. Next year I may read a chapter out of Pa’s Big Green Animal Book.
UPDATE: After I posted this, Nancy Cleaveland contacted and let me know Romines and I both missed a novel by title. “In Little Town on the Prairie Chapter 19 – Whirl of Gaiety. Carrie receives a novel for Christmas. Laura calls it Stories OF the Moorland, but the correct title is Stories FROM the Moorland.” I thought it might be short stories based on the title, but Nancy confirmed “It does have stories, but in the same way that Pa tells Laura stories.” Thanks for the correction. -SSU
Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Facebook, Twitter , YouTube,  Blog Talk Radio, Google+, LinkedIn, and Academia.edu Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Acting President.