The Great Grain Elevator Incident

The Great Grain Elevator Incident, the fourth book in the ongoing “Milligan Creek” middle-grade series, continues to follow brothers Chad and Matt and friends Dean and Andrew as they repeatedly create well-meaning mischief in their small Saskatchewan town. In this most recent release, the boys begin to suspect that Milligan Creek’s iconic grain elevators are slated to be demolished and replaced by unsightly cement and steel inland grain terminals. Wanting to save the small town prairie way of life they’ve become accustomed to, they rustle up yet another madcap plan to not only save their beloved grain elevators but also keep their hometown from being wiped off the map.

Offering less hijinks and hilarity than previous installments, The Great Grain Elevator Incident examines the more somber issue of big corporations moving into rural towns. Although certainly a touchstone for many great business development debates, this plot device seems somewhat out of touch with the more light-hearted storylines of previous novels including a town-wide water fight and the mysterious pirate radio show transmitted from the local marsh. Here, readers are provided with the heavy plot of not only the impact of large industries on small towns but also an unspirited side story detailing the municipal election for Milligan Creek’s mayor.

Thankfully, author Kevin Miller continues to infuse his stories with delightful descriptions of small town prairie life. His writing offers a wonderfully wistful glance of Milligan Creek and provides enjoyable characterizations of the many colourful townspeople that keep Chad, Matt, Dean, and Andrew in check amongst their ongoing hijinks. As he has taken to doing so in each new entry in the series, Miller has also once again brought to centre some of Milligan Creek’s side characters from previous stories. This time round, local news reporter Tucker Butler and Mayor Bondar received the upgraded treatment as they each play an important role in the novel’s plot.

Although an acceptable addition to the “Milligan Creek” series, The Great Grain Elevator Incident is not nearly as fun as the previous two titles, Unlimited and The Water War. The politics-minded plot plods along without the quick pace and high energy the previous books effectively offered. Nonetheless, Kevin Miller’s latest novel remains a solid middle-grade read following the hijinks of a kind-hearted group of adolescents males amongst the backdrop of the Canadian prairies. The series will undoubtedly continue to engage hesitant male readers and remain a favourite amongst its intended audience.