Blog Tour: NOT LUCILLE by Mike Steele

NOT LUCILLE

Mike Steele

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GENRE:  Middle Grade Historical

 

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BLURB:

 

Ten-year-oldLucy Contento can't help but be seen and heard. And she's always in trouble forit. She talks too much. She's impulsive. She writes with the wrong hand. Herparents would be mad enough knowing she routinely earns afterschool detentions.They'd be furious if they found out she's been sneaking onto the campus of thenearby Trenton Academy for the Deaf. But there, Lucy has met Florence, a lonelyand profoundly deaf girl her own age. Florence doesn't mind Lucy's flaws.Though Florence can't speak, she has a unique way of communicating. If Lucy canfigure out how to learn Florence's special language, the two could be friends.

 

Lucydevises a plan, but it's going to cost a whopping $7.98-more money than she'sgot. She can't tell her parents why she wants the funds without revealing she'sbeen visiting Florence. Besides, her parents don't have a penny to spare. Herfather has been out of work for months. And nobody else in the Contento familyhas an income. Or do they ...? Lucy soon discovers she's not the only member ofher family hiding something. Can she get the money she needs while keepingeveryone's secrets? Or will her scheming land her in the biggest trouble of herlife?

 

Inthis story of friendship and belonging, a young girl navigates prejudice,punishment, and identity while establishing her voice in a world that oftentries to keep her silent.

 

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

Lucy inched her head farther inside and felt her heartstarting to beat faster. She was close enough to make out that one of the bookswas a pale gray pad. The blonde girl was sketching some sort of landscapeinside, copying an illustration from the other book. The sketch was good. Theblonde girl was talented.

 

“Wow,” Lucy whispered, worrying for a moment that her lapseof judgment would give her away. She quickly remembered she was at the Deefies.The blonde girl probably couldn’t hear her.

 

Couldn’t hear her but could certainly see her. That’s whathappened not a full minute later when the blonde girl glanced up from her work.

 

Caught.

 

Lucy had to get out of there. She clumsily scooted backwardthrough the frame and pulled herself up, turning to run for the fence only afew feet away. She reached the hedges as fast as her short legs could get herto them. She was about to push through.

 

“Stop!”

 

Lucy stopped.

 

She turned.

 

The blonde girl stood at the open window. “Stop,” shecommanded again. At least that’s what Lucy thought the girl had said. Shecouldn’t be sure. The blonde girl seemed to have some sort of accent.

 

Lucy crept toward the open window and crouched down untilshe was face to face with the blonde girl. “You can talk?”

 

The blonde girl raised her hand and formed it into a fist.She pinched her thumb and index finger together. It looked like the gestureLucy had seen people use to indicate the phrase, a little bit.

 

“Can you hear me?”

 

The blonde girl shook her head.

 

A large raindrop landed in Lucy’s curls and dripped down herface.

 

Both girls turned their heads to the sky, from whichenormous droplet after enormous droplet began tumbling.

 

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” Lucy said, still looking up.

 

The blonde girl reached through the window and pulled Lucy’sface toward her own. Her grip was firm, her hands compelling.

 

 

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 Review: 

Lucy was starting 5thgrade, but it sure didn’t start off well. She never meant to get into trouble,but trouble always seemed to find her. One the first day, she gets classifiedas “disruptive” by the teacher and gets detention. Boy, what a way to get offon the wrong foot. On the way home, one building in particular intriguedher—the School for the Deaf. That’s when she meets a deaf girl named Florence,whom she has secret visits with. Soon, a friendship develops and Lucy tries tofind a way to get an American Sign Language dictionary. Unfortunately, with herdad, an Italian immigrant, being out of work, money was tight, which saddenLucy and frustrated the whole family

Lucy was certainly a fun andenergetic girl. I liked how she was always thinking and curious about the worldaround her. She genuinely seemed to care and truly wanted to help.

Full of charm and heart, Lucy isable to better understand herself, her friends, and her family. Story showsthat there’s more than one way to communicate and express yourself. A fun storyabout friendship, understanding, and learning new things. A good read!

Rating:4 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

MikeSteele is an elementary school librarian and former fourth and fifth gradeclassroom teacher. He has eight plays that are published and licensed forproduction in the school play market. Not Lucille is his debut middle-gradenovel. Whether writing plays or novels, he enjoys creating characters andsituations that make kids laugh. In his spare time, he likes to attend playsand musicals, create mixed-media artwork, and win prizes from claw machines. Helives at the Jersey Shore with his rescue tabby cats, Karen and Sox. If youspot him in the wild, he usually has a bubble tea in one of his hands.

 

Facebooklink: http://www.facebook.com/msteelewrites

Instagramlink: https://www.instagram.com/msteelewrites/

Websitelink: http://www.mikesteeleonline.com

BuyLink : https://books2read.com/u/4Arye0

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

MikeSteele will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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