The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

By: Stacy McAnulty

Narrated by: Ana Isabel

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

Middle school is the one problem Lucy Klein can't solve in this middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Fish in a Tree, and Counting by Sevens.

Lucy Klein was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her forever. An acquired savant, Lucy has genius-level math skills. In fact, at 12-years-old, home-schooled Lucy has already passed high school. But before she can go to college, her grandmother insists Lucy pass one more test: middle school! Lucy doesn't understand why she needs middle school when she's already doing college professor-level math. But grandma insists she give it one year; make one friend; join one activity; and read one book (that isn't a math textbook!). Lucy knows she'll hate it; she already gets everything she needs Online. But is it possible she miscalculated?

No miscalculations here! Loveable characters + energetic plot + STEM connections = One big hit!

©2018 Stacy McAnulty (P)2018 Listening Library

Critic Reviews

"Unique and utterly satisfying." (Kirkus Reviews)

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

"McAnulty’s well-drawn cast of characters grapple with the difficulties of middle school, friendships, and life. 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)

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

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.