The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
By Darienne Stewart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Math whiz gets out of comfort zone in smart, touching story.
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What's the Story?
In THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL, Lucy survived a lightning strike that left her with genius-level math talent -- and obsessive compulsive disorder. She's only 12 and capable of starting college, but her grandmother enrolls her in middle school to spend time with kids her age. Though Lucy downplays her math skills to try to fit in, she can't hide her OCD routines from snickering classmates. She falls into friendship with kind Windy, who wants to save the world, and cynical Levi, who regards everyone through his camera lens. As they work together on a service project at a local shelter, Lucy struggles to unlock the right formula to manage the everyday ups and downs of middle school.
Is It Any Good?
In her remarkable, heartfelt first middle-grade book, Stacy McAnulty shares the beauty and joy of math alongside the illogic of trying to calculate teh best path to navigate relationships and life. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl sets up a fantastic premise -- a girl whose brain was rewired by a lightning strike -- and builds to a sweet, satisfying payoff. Lucy feels alone but shares the worries of every middle-schooler: wanting to be her unique self without being seen as different. Aside from the cookie-cutter mean-girl melodrama, the novel is enriched by diverse, authentic supporting characters who have their own challenges.
Even the math-averse will appreciate how McAnulty (Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years) describes Lucy's perspective, where numbers are a colorful canvas and patterns bring comfort and understanding. This is a wonderful book to inspire readers to see the world -- and the people in it -- with fresh eyes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Lucy uses math as a tool to cope with anxiety in The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. What helps you settle down when you're anxious?
What kind of "soft skills" do you think you're learning in school and other activities with people your age?
When Lucy lashes out at others online, they block her. What tools do you use to avoid mean or aggressive people on social media?
Book Details
- Author: Stacy McAnulty
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Friendship , Great Girl Role Models , Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: May 1, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 2, 2022
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