I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA 2026 Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Mike Steele’s Not Lucille! This book made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.
BBNYA:
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (18 in 2026) and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.
Book Details:
Title: Not Lucille by Mike Steele
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Category: Middle Grade
Format: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Length: 256 pg.
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
About the Book:
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.
What is the opening line? Rumor at Robbins Elementary was that from the windows on the top floor of the building, you could see the whole city of Trenton and across the New Jersey side of the Delaware River to Pennsylvania.
What’s a fun fact about the book? The book is inspired by a real neighborhood in the city of Trenton, NJ, as well as a real school for the Deaf that used to be in that neighborhood. This same neighborhood is the setting of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (set in a very different time and written for a very different audience).
What food or drink pairs best with the book? Pasta
What music pairs best with the book? Big Band
Book Links:
Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Bookshop.org ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph
About the Author:
Mike Steele is an elementary school librarian and children’s playwright with eight plays published and licensed for production. Not Lucille is his debut middle-grade novel. In his spare time, he likes to attend musicals, create mixed-media artwork, and win prizes from claw machines. He lives at the Jersey Shore with his tabby cats, Karen and Sox. If you spot him in the wild, he usually has a bubble tea in one of his hands.
Website ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.