THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL by Stacy McAnulty

                  

This is a great dog story, a wonderful story about a girl finding her place in the world, and a story about friendship and family. Definitely worth reading!

Description from the publisher:

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?

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, written by Stacy McAnulty was published by Random House in 2018.

Why you want to read this book… 

One of the things I liked about this story is the way Lucy talks about her disorder and owns it. It’s a part of her life and she’s coping as best she can. Lucy faces challenges of bullying, making and keeping friends and working on school assignments. I loved the clever way she brought her math skills into play when working on her school project. I also liked her relationship with the shelter dog, Pi.

Opening:

I don’t remember the moment that changed my life 4 years ago. Call it a side effect of being struck by lightning. That bolt of electricity burned a small hole in my memory. It also rewired my brain, transforming me into Lucille Fanny Callahan, math genius.

If you’re a writer… 

This is another great example of a first person, present tense narrator with a strong voice. There’s a slightly humorous tone to the story that reminds me of YA novels.

I will never understand people. In algebra, you can solve an equation when you have 1unknown variable. People are equations with dozens of variables. Basically unsolvable.

If you’re a teacher…

Some great things about this book:  There’s lots of talk about math, in a fun way. The main character, Lucy, spends a lot of time in the book working on a school project with a small group—to do something to make a difference. Lucy lives with her grandmother, so I liked that it speaks to kids who don’t live with one or two parents. Lucy’s anxiety and OCD is shown in a straightforward way that makes it easy for kids to relate to.

"Pi?" I whisper the dog’s name, and he turns to look at me. That’s when I notice that 1 of the black spots on his back is the shape of a lightning bolt.

Colby Sharp’s review:

For more great middle grade reads, check out what's happening for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday over at Greg Pattridge's blog.