Hamilton-native, Mike Steele, was honored with this year’s Imadjinn Award for Best Middle Grade Book for his debut novel, ‘Not Lucille’. The awards are hosted annually in Louisville, Kentucky, as part of the Imaginarium Convention, now in its 13th year. This three-day event for storytelling professionals features workshops, panel discussions, an independent film festival, and the awards ceremony.
“I was shocked to win,” Steele said. “When ‘Not Lucille’ was published last summer, I just hoped people would want to read it. I never expected to win an award for my first book.”
The juried Imadjinn Awards recognize outstanding achievement across a broad range of literary genres and celebrate works from around the world. In February, Steele’s ‘Not Lucille’ was named a finalist in the Best Middle Grade Book category, along with ‘Dreams of Gold and Fire’ by Fred Phillips and ‘Scareville: Food to Die For’ by John Ward. Steele wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony on July 18 to learn his novel had nabbed the grand prize in literature written for ages 9–12; he was at his own destination wedding in London.
“I found out I won through Google,” Steele said. “It was a pretty exciting and exhausting weekend.”
‘Not Lucille’ is primarily set in what was once the Italian-American neighborhood of Chambersburg in Trenton, New Jersey.
“I know a lot of Hamilton residents can trace their family history through Trenton, including my own family,” Steele said. “It was fun researching the period and trying to envision what life was like in that part of the city for such a specific cultural community.”
‘Not Lucille’ takes place in 1931. Ten-year-old Lucy (not Lucille) Contento is always in trouble. She talks too much. She’s impulsive. Her brain doesn’t seem to work like everyone else’s. Lucy’s parents would be furious if they found out she’s been sneaking onto the campus of the nearby Trenton Academy for the Deaf. 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?
The story’s period provides a unique backdrop for its disabled characters.
“I’m excited for kids to get to read about disability in a historical context,” Steele said. “Lucy has what’s now known as ADHD and Florence is Deaf. Some of the obstacles they face are unique to the Great Depression era, but many of the obstacles are still present in the disability community today. I hope readers will enjoy learning new things about the time, but most importantly, I hope they’ll find ways to connect with characters that may be very different from themselves.”
Released in print and e-book in 2025 by CJM Publishing, ‘Not Lucille’ was adapted for audiobook this past June. As part of a summer reading promotion, the e-book and audiobook are available for $0.99 each through the end of August via participating retailers, which currently include Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and Spotify. In paperback, ‘Not Lucille’ (978-1-965648-0700, $14.99) is available wherever books are sold.
