NOT LUCILLE
Mike Steele
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GENRE: Middle Grade Historical
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BLURB:
Ten-year-old
Lucy Contento can't help but be seen and heard. And she's always in trouble for
it. She talks too much. She's impulsive. She writes with the wrong hand. Her
parents 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 the
nearby Trenton Academy for the Deaf. But there, Lucy has met Florence, a lonely
and 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 can
figure out how to learn Florence's special language, the two could be friends.
Lucy
devises a plan, but it's going to cost a whopping $7.98-more money than she's
got. She can't tell her parents why she wants the funds without revealing she's
been visiting Florence. Besides, her parents don't have a penny to spare. Her
father has been out of work for months. And nobody else in the Contento family
has an income. Or do they ...? Lucy soon discovers she's not the only member of
her family hiding something. Can she get the money she needs while keeping
everyone's secrets? Or will her scheming land her in the biggest trouble of her
life?
In
this story of friendship and belonging, a young girl navigates prejudice,
punishment, and identity while establishing her voice in a world that often
tries to keep her silent.
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Excerpt
Two:
Lucy inched her head farther inside and felt her heart
starting to beat faster. She was close enough to make out that one of the books
was a pale gray pad. The blonde girl was sketching some sort of landscape
inside, copying an illustration from the other book. The sketch was good. The
blonde girl was talented.
“Wow,” Lucy whispered, worrying for a moment that her lapse
of 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 what
happened 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 backward
through the frame and pulled herself up, turning to run for the fence only a
few feet away. She reached the hedges as fast as her short legs could get her
to them. She was about to push through.
“Stop!”
Lucy stopped.
She turned.
The blonde girl stood at the open window. “Stop,” she
commanded again. At least that’s what Lucy thought the girl had said. She
couldn’t be sure. The blonde girl seemed to have some sort of accent.
Lucy crept toward the open window and crouched down until
she 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 gesture
Lucy 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 her
face.
Both girls turned their heads to the sky, from which
enormous 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’s
face toward her own. Her grip was firm, her hands compelling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucy was certainly a fun and energetic girl. I liked how she was always thinking and curious about the world around her. She genuinely seemed to care and truly wanted to help.
Full of charm and heart, Lucy is able to better understand herself, her friends, and her family. Story shows that there’s more than one way to communicate and express yourself. A fun story about friendship, understanding, and learning new things. A good read!
Rating:
4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mike
Steele is an elementary school librarian and former fourth and fifth grade
classroom teacher. He has eight plays that are published and licensed for
production in the school play market. Not Lucille is his debut middle-grade
novel. Whether writing plays or novels, he enjoys creating characters and
situations that make kids laugh. In his spare time, he likes to attend plays
and musicals, create mixed-media artwork, and win prizes from claw machines. He
lives at the Jersey Shore with his rescue tabby cats, Karen and Sox. If you
spot him in the wild, he usually has a bubble tea in one of his hands.
Facebook
link:
http://www.facebook.com/msteelewrites
Instagram
link: https://www.instagram.com/msteelewrites/
Website
link: http://www.mikesteeleonline.com
Buy
Link : https://books2read.com/u/4Arye0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Mike
Steele will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for featuring and reviewing NOT LUCILLE.
ReplyDeleteThanks for featuring NOT LUCILLE!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good middle grade school.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read and I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds absolutely charming. I love the cover art!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a cute story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fun read!
ReplyDeleteSounds like so much fun
ReplyDeleteLucille sounds like a spunky character.
ReplyDelete