I'd already seen today's read floating around the middle grade realm when I was asked to take a peek at it. From everything I've seen, it should be an interesting read. It also so happens to take place during the Great Depression, not exactly a time frame I've seen visited by many books lately. I'm excited to see what this one is all about. I have tried to steer pretty clear of the reviews, since I didn't want to have thoughts before picking this one up. Honestly, I try to do that as much as possible with every read...sometimes, it works out better than others.\
In any case, let's jump in and see what's up with Lucille.
NOT LUCILLE
by Mike Steele
Middle Grade Historical Fiction
228 pages
ages 8 to 12
It’s 1931, and children should be seen and not heard.
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.
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.
MY TIDBITS
With heart, a little mischief, and quite a bit of family goodness, this tale lets readers sink a bit into the Great Depression.
Lucy (not Lucille as her awful teacher calls her) can't believe she ended up with the strictest 6th grade teacher...and that when she's only in the 5th. But having a teacher suddenly switch grades isn't the only difficult part of her life. Her father hasn't had a job for a few months, and while her family does have some savings, it's not clear it will hold until he lands another job. Her oldest brother is making things at home even rougher thanks to his disinterest in attending school. When Lucy finds an unexpected friend at the school for deaf children across the street, things take an interesting turn.
Lucille is an easy character to connect with. Despite taking place in 1931, Lucille's life comes across with enough familiarity for readers to understand her situation and problems. Her inability to sit still and struggles with the teacher are things readers from today can even understand. Still, the historical goodness comes through clearly as things such as the forbidden 'writing with the left hand' or 'children don't speak when adults are talking' reveal some attitudes of the time period. This different view of life is also seen in Lucy's friendship with a deaf girl. Lucy comes across as determined and kind, while holding quite a bit of spunk and attitude to let her rebellious nature, especially for that time frame, come through. So, she's a character to root for.
The tale rolls along smoothly with plenty of problems for Lucille to handle. The financial issues of the Great Depression come across clearly as well as the influence they had on life during those years. I was a little surprised to see her oldest brother continuing school at his age (most teens left high school around ages 14-15 at that time), but the family's attitude is inspiring on that front. Even Lucille's connection with her new friend adds goodness and plenty of food for thought on the social side of life. So, there's quite a bit of positive aspects to these pages.
Readers, who want to learn more about the time period, will find this an easy way to dive into life during those years. I especially see this as a nice book for homeschoolers to enjoy.
And here he is...
tabby cats, Karen and Sox. If you spot him in the wild, he usually has a bubble tea in one of his hands.
www.mikesteeleonline.com
@msteelewrites
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