Thought for the Day:
“The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has crossed a border that I myself have circumvented.”
~ Milan Kundera ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Lisa Hall-Wilson has a great post HERE on Writers in the Storm that discusses something I hadn’t thought about before reading it. We all have non-point of view characters, but how can we get their thoughts and feelings onto the page?
When I write, for the most part, my characters wander into my mind fully formed and tell me all about themselves. But once in a while, I need to create a character; it’s hard work. HERE Jan Fields from the Institute of Children’s Writers has a good article on Building Characters from Scratch.
Often, when I read posts about query letters, it is suggested that you should make your writing voice part of the letter, but no one talks about how to do that. Until now. HERE Nathan Bransford has a great post about how to weave more voice into a query letter.
I am still kind of worn out from my trip. Guess my age is catching up with me. But it was a great trip. I got to see Maggie’s show twice, and after the matinee on Sunday, the cast did a hootenanny. They invited anyone who wanted to to bring their instruments and join in. About a dozen people brought instruments. One guy even brought a stand-up bass! It was an awful lot of fun. When we got to Boston, it was hot, but no rain, so off we went to Fenway Park. I checked park number 22 off my list. It was a really fun game with lots of great hits and plays. The Red Sox won, but honestly, I didn’t care who won. I just wanted a good game. Sometimes it’s nice to watch a game just for the pure love of baseball. Then we drove to New York. Maggie lives in the Bronx. We got her dog settled and had to go to Manhattan almost immediately. She had an audition (no dice – sigh), and then we saw John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway. If you decide to see it, make sure you’ve read or seen The Crucible. It will make so much more sense. It was a very good show with some excellent performances. And I had almost a week with Maggie!
I was contacted by Mike Steele a few weeks ago, and he asked if I would be interested in reviewing his book NOT LUCILLE. I already had it on my radar, and told him I’d be happy to. He is working hard to get his book noticed. I’m seeing it a lot of places. He sent me two signed copies, so there is a giveaway too. Here are my thoughts on the book.
It is 1931, and the country is in a severe depression. Lucy is ten, and school is a bit of a struggle for her. She has trouble keeping her thoughts inside her head. They keep leaping out of her mouth without any warning. It gets her in trouble in school, and the other kids make fun of her all the time. She is also left-handed, and the teacher insists she use her right hand. It’s awfully difficult for her. Lucy gets detention almost every day after school. When going to meet her friends after detention, she decides to take a shortcut through the campus of the Trenton Academy for the Deaf. She sees a girl all by herself in a classroom, and Lucy is curious about her. The girl sees her and calls out to her. It turns out the girl, Florence, can read lips and speak a few words. Between her lip-reading and their note writing, over several visits, they become friends. Lucy visits almost every day, and both girls feel their friendship needs to be kept a secret. Florence explains she is not allowed to use sign language in school, but it would be much easier for her to communicate with friends if she could. Lucy learns some sign language from Florence. Lucy wants to learn much more sign language, but she can’t afford a sign language dictionary. Lucy’s dad has been out of work for a while, and things are a bit tough at home. When Lucy is caught trespassing on the campus of the Trenton Academy for the Deaf, she is in real trouble. A meeting is called with school officials of both schools and with the parents. The girls might not be able to see each other anymore.
Mike Steele has written a compelling story set in a time young people probably know little about. It was a time when simply being left-handed was forbidden, so the level of prejudice against those who were deaf is enormous. This will be a real eye-opener for young readers. The writing is very good, and the characters are well-rounded and interesting. Steele teaches many lessons about friendship, loyalty, family, and history, embedding it all into a great story. Kids will never know they are learning.
I have a signed paperback to give to one of you. All you need to do is be a follower (it’s free and easy — see the top, right corner of the post) with a US Address, and leave a comment. If you share the link to this post on social media, please let me know in your comment, and you will get an extra chance. And please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Reading about Deaf culture and the 1920’s-1930’s is my summer obsession. I’d love to win this book.
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This is the perfect book for your summer reading program. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I’m glad you had a fun trip. Mike’s book sounds great. I don’t read enough books set during the Depression. I’ll be featuring Mike later this year. I’ll let someone else win the book.
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There aren’t a lot of books set in the depression. I think it’s more important than ever for kids to know about it. Thanks for the comment.
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Thanks for the links, and it looks like you had a great time! I’ll be checking out this book myself soon, so it was fun to see you enjoyed it.
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Glad you like the links. I think you will enjoy the book as well. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thank you for the wonderful links! This sounds really engaging. It made me think of how my dad talked about getting the ruler for using his left hand in school (in the 50s). Times have certainly changed. I’m also intrigued by learning about the deaf community in that time as well.
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So glad you found links you like. I have a sister who is a lefty, and my mother had to fight for her to be allowed to use her natural hand. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Your trip sounds fun! I was wondering if have any plans for Comerica Park or have ever been there. They are celebrating 25 years with special menu items from local businesses. This book sounds insightful into a time in American history that I don’t know much about. I shared this post on tumblr, Facebook, and X.
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The trip was a lot of fun. I went to Comerica Park last summer. It’s a great park. The book is great. Thanks for sharing my link. An extra chance for you. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thanks so much for reviewing NOT LUCILLE! Good luck to everyone entering the giveaway!
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Thanks for stopping by, Mike.
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Glad you got to see one good team on your road trip! Great links this week and I especially liked Nathan’s post. I’ll pass on the Giveaway as I already had the chance to read and review this book. A fun, engaging story and time period. A perfect debut for this author.
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Aw, Greg. The Rockies were scrappy and it was a good game. Glad you like the links. Thanks for the comment.
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Mike Steel’s book sounds terrific. I’m very interested in children’s books that show how our ignorance gets in the way of learning.
I just returned from a quick trip to Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. My buddy is a season ticket holder for the A’s this year, so it was fun to hang out with him. We’ve been friends since high school. Then I caught up with a couple of college buddies in Tahoe. Other than the dreaded check engine light coming on, everything went great. We even got in a round of golf. On my drive home yesterday, it was 111 in Weaverville!
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You will like this book. It’s a good one. Wow! 111!!! That’s crazy. We are having a cool spell and the high temps are supposed to be in the 80s all week. Thanks for the comment and good luck in the drawing.
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I’m so happy to see you had a fun visit with your daughter and got to visit Fenway! ⚾️ I loved seeing a game there ten years ago and since I was with a lifelong fan I cheered for the Red Sox and they won which was a bonus!
I think it’s time to go back!
I saw The Outsiders on Broadway last weekend and totally recommend it! I’m hoping to see more shows now that I’ve figured out the bus.
The book sounds interesting but I think I’ve got one that I won from you I still need to collect so feel free to give it to someone else. I’m the world’s slowest reader.
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Yeah, it was a great trip all around. There are a lot a great shows on Broadway, but also a lot of good ones off Broadway. So much to do in NY. I’m a pretty slow reader too. I like to think of it as savoring my books. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I agree, being a slow reader is the equivalent of savoring something wonderful. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.
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This sounds like a wonderful book, thanks for the chance! Following your blog, and shared on twitter!
x.com/MelAnnB14/status/1946345696887558305
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Thanks for sharing my link. I appreciate it. An extra chance for you. Good luck.
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Sounds like a fun trip! Traveling in the heat is even more tiring! Glad you got to Fenway- I love going to see games there.
This sounds like a great book. I have a student who has been trying to read every book she can that involves people who are deaf or hearing impaired. She wears a hearing aid and she said she loves learning more about it. If I win I will pass the book on to her to read for sure. 🙂 I will be telling her about it either way!
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Fenway was great! I’ll bet you love going there. I think your student would love this book, and you will enjoy it too. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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