The Little Milly and the Great Lakes series by Kelly McInenly

Welcome to this tour for the Little Milly and the Great Lakes series by Kelly McInenly! I admit when I first saw it was being offered, I thought the books were actually about The Great Lakes, on which I have lived my whole life. Not quite, but still a cute series that made me flashback to my own childhood. Learn more about the series about six sisters whose last name is Lake in this guest post from the author and then get my thoughts on the first three books in the series. Follow the tour for even more thoughts and let her know what you think along the way. And of course, it gives you plenty of chances to enter the great giveaway!

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I wrote Little Milly and the Great Lakes to fill an emerging void in the kids’ book section, where it seemed the primary choices were sassy and sassier or weird and weirder. Parents actually enjoy reading these sweet stories, about spritely girls, their simple adventures and a wee moral at the end. Amazingly and encouragingly, it seems kids are still able to giggle and be entertained, even in the absence of eye-rolling and unicorns that vomit rainbows. Phew!

At my nieces’ request, I am hurrying to finish the next three books in the series – Ene and the Ivy, Flo and the Fishermen and Milly and the Mail – including a chance for Little Milly fans’ faces to be included in the illustrations.

At the same time, my quest for projects that help parents raise amazing adults continues. I am co-authoring a business book for young people with my friend and professional colleague, Julien Leblanc.

After years of on-boarding new graduates and coaching executives, Julien noticed a consistent and concerning gap between academic achievement and organizational effectiveness. While academic pedigree provides a solid foundation, that foundation may be too hard, lacking the soft skills that enable agility, creativity and, ultimately, success.

Foundation Before Creation is our attempt to bridge the divide between academia and reality, with a book that both in its construct and its content demonstrates the difference…

A slim field guide in place of a bulky textbook, stories and colloquial language not case studies and jargon, practical advice in addition to theory… short enough to read on a short-haul flight but salient enough to stay on a desk as a resource for an entire career.

By the end of 13 chapters, readers will have 78 (+1!) tools and techniques they can use immediately and enduringly in their professional life.

I guess you could say I am covering young readers from-cradle-to-career at this point. Ultimately, I think it is wonderful and important for parents to read to their kids and encourage their kids to read… even if it is books about precocious llamas’ broken iPhones

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About the series:

Kelly knew Little Milly Lake as Grandma Mill McInenly. The usually serious Mildred would occasionally surprise her granddaughter with tales of the fun and mischief that she and her five older sisters found growing up in the Maritimes in the early 1900s. The combination of little money or supervision, and a notoriously grumpy father, made for simple stories with just the right blend of silly and sweet.Little Milly and the Great Lakes is Kelly's first creative writing endeavor... she has been distracted by Little Mateo and Little Lucas.

Get silly with Milly on her other adventures...Bess and the Boil, Marj and the Medal, and Peg and the Party Line.

**My overall thoughts**

It's a cute series with the rhyming adventures of six young sisters back so many years ago. A lot of their antics felt somewhat familiar to me, as I remember hearing similar stories from my parents' and grandparents' generations. They could be a fun way to teach a little bit of history.

And I love the illustrations. They made me think of Ludwig Bemelmans and his Madeline series.

Here are my thoughts on each individual book. (Please note that affiliate links are included below. If you make a purchase through one, I earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you.)

This first book felt relevant to today as the girls are rowing on a crew team of sorts and have a regatta to compete in. When Marj wins, she doesn't want to share her winnings and ends up getting sick off of them. It's a cute lesson on sharing.

Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Marj and the Medal (Book 1)

Amazon US * Amazon CA * Barnes and Noble * Indigo/Chapters

This one really steps back in time and brought back fond memories for me. My grandmother used to tell me stories about having a party line in the small city in which she grew up. My mother grew up in the country, so her family had a party line much longer. The antics the girls pull in this one were very familiar, as my family had their own, sometimes similar, stories to tell about when they had one. 

Kids today already have a hard time conceiving of one phone line and being tethered to the wall while talking in front of everyone. This idea will surely blow their minds!

Read an excerpt:

In the Lake girls’ time – nineteen hundred and nine,
Many homes were connected by telephone line.
Neighbours had their own numbers – but the phone line was shared:
You could pick up and listen to all, if you dared.
And the Lake girls did dare – they goaded each other,
“Peg, pick up the phone and pretend you’re a mother!”

Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Peg and the Party Line (Book 2)
Amazon US * Amazon CA * Barnes and Noble * Indigo/Chapters! 

I think this one is going to be harder to relate to, as Bess gets a boil on her bum, presumably from playing in the dirt in her skirt? I admit that I don't know much about this phenomenon, but kids are still likely to get a kick out of this story.

Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Bess and the Boil (Book 3)

Amazon US * Amazon CA * Barnes and Noble * Indigo/Chapters! 

About the author:

Kelly knew Little Milly Lake as Grandma Mill McInenly. The usually serious Mildred would occasionally surprise her granddaughter with tales of the fun and mischief that she and her five older sisters found growing up in the Maritimes in the early 1900s. The combination of little money or supervision, and a notoriously grumpy father, made for simple stories with just the right blend of silly and sweet.

Little Milly and the Great Lakes is Kelly’s first creative writing endeavor… she has been distracted by Little Mateo and Little Lucas.

Connect with Canadian author Kelly McInenly on

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/little-milly-and-the-great-lakes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemillyandthegreatlakes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19237406.Kelly_McInenly

Kelly McInenly will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway