The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

By: Stacy McAnulty

Narrated by: Ana Isabel

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

A lightning strike gave her a superpower...but even a super genius can't solve the problem of middle school. This smart and funny novel 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 one more test: middle school!

Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for one year. Make one friend. Join one activity. And read one book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in seventh 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)

©2018 Stacy McAnulty (P)2018 Listening Library

Critic Reviews

"Unique and utterly satisfying." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Prepare to fall in love." (School Library Journal)

"Fresh story, great characters, a winner!" (Barbara O'Connor, author of Wish)

great empowering atory

Great for girls and a pretty decent performance. The depth of relationship issues and questions that come up is good for kids about to go to middle school.

SO AMAZING!

Engaging and interesting, the story line is unique. My son, a reluctant reader, and daughter, both loved this book. I am excited to share it with my students as well.

Amazing

This author touches so many aspects of being a kid and truthfully, of being an adult, being human. LOVED IT! Needs to be shared with others, ones you know and ones you don’t!!

Great Book!

I really enjoyed this book. Is was a little heart wrenching at times but it is truly amazing and I recommend it!

5 star*

I loved it had some sad parts but it turned out happy good for any ages over 2. in my opinion

book

this a very good book, I real good story even if I'm 72 years old, listen 2 times more. I will keep on listening to it.

the best book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

very interesting i love math it is the best thing that i could learn !!!!

Awesome!

I loved this book, it’s awesome for tweens and teens and everyone else I just loved it!!

As a teacher I loved this book!

I loved this book. I really think the way the main character articulated her feelings and her compulsions will help children and understand and accept the differences in others.
This is a great read for upper elementary and early middle school learners.

Great Insight Into OCD

I loved this story! It provided great insight into what it's like to be OCD and a savant.

A book about friendship

Great story about a girl who doesn't feel like she fits in and how she copes with it.
Good voice storytelling. Sad when it finished - want to find out what lightening girl does next.

A maths genius attends school - can she fit in?

A 'Wonder' for those with differences that we can't see... Lucy may not look like Auggie, but she is going to stand out in school like a sore thumb if everyone knows her for who she is. Since being hit by lightning, Lucy can do complicated maths instantaneously, recite Pi to hundreds of places and has already finished high school online, despite being only 12. But her grandmother is insisting she attend a 'real' middle grade school, to learn to fit in, make friends and experience a little 'real life' before she considers college in a year.

Dreading it, Lucy agrees, and from here on in, decides to keep her extraordinary abilities under wraps as she grits her teeth and enters the hell of school.

A story of being true to yourself and being proud of your abilities, it is also a story of a rather sweet friendship, as Lucy finds herself forming a connection with a few other students unexpectedly as they are forced together in a philanthropic class project.

It's only a short read for confident readers, but the unusual narrator will hook them, as will the story of a group of misfits, dogs, and even maths!

Loved Lucy, she's vulnerable but ridiculously capable but takes this with a punch of salt and is never arrogant about it. I also thought her friends were well-written and not the oft-seen cyphers. Her grandmother is also a real presence and more than a background necessity.

I would recommend this for ages 10-13 in particular, and though lovers of maths will definitely find an idol in Lucy, nobody will find themselves out of their depth for not being a whizz at arithmetic.

The Audible version was a very easy listen, with a narrator who conveyed Lucy's age as well as abilities, even managing to make her recitation of the digits of Pi enjoyable! She sounded like a teenager and added in the voices of the other characters to show distinct persons.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing an Audible copy for review purposes.