Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

by Stacy McAnulty

A lightning strike gave her a super power...but even a super genius can't solve the problem of middle school. This smart and funny novel is perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by Sevens.

Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test--middle school!

Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation?

A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty's smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different.

AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

"An engaging story, full of heart and hope. Readers of all ages will root for Lucy, aka Lightning Girl. No miscalculations here!" --Kate Beasley, author of Gertie's Leap to Greatness

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

File that under "feel-good-lit", because this book left me smiling from ear to ear.

I knew early on I could get behind Lucy. I loved her voice, her honesty, and her sense of humor. She was definitely easy to root for, and she won my heart.

So many things to love in this book:

• Math, math, everywhere! I couldn't get enough of it.
• Dogs and especially, Cutie Pi ❤️
• Friendship
• Amazing adults, like Nana, uncle Paul, and Mr. Stoker
• Non-Traditional families
• Getting a little glimpse of dealing with OCD
• Pleasant surprises, such as Levi

I was fully absorbed in this lovely story and couldn't read it fast enough. There were some serious tears at about the 94% mark, but my sobbing, sad tears did morph into happy tears.

Overall: A heartwarming story of being yourself, finding your tribe, and using your gifts to do some good, oh, and math, lots of math.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 December, 2018: Finished reading
  • 15 December, 2018: Reviewed