The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

Lucy Callahan is very good with numbers. She is so good that she can solve any mathematical problem and is supose to start college at the age of 12. However, Nana challenges her to try middle school and (1) stay there 1 year, (2) make 1 friend, (3) join 1 activity, and (4) read 1 book that isn't a math book. Lucy has always been homeschooled so this is a very difficult task even though she is very smart. Lucy also has acquired savant syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that make middle school even more difficult.

Maddie is the middleschool bully, the reason why Grade 7 is difficult for a girl like Lucy.

"You don’t try to change people. It’s like you’re only trying to understand people.”

Eventually, Lucy makes two friends, Windy and Levi. They do a group project for school trying to help shelter dogs get adopted quicker. Although Lucy does't like dogs she gradually grows fond of (Cutie) Pi, a cute little dog with a spot that looks like lightning. Lucy uses her math skills to get Pi adopted by her math teacher.

"Don't be afraid of numbers. Use them to compute your solutions. Look at the world as it is intended.”

This is a very interesting book because it shows how a math genious still strugles in her social interactions in middle school despite being smarter than everyone else. The reader can learn a lot about math from this book, and it shows that math can be fun and useful in everyday life.

It also made me sad to know that dogs that are not healthy or cannot be adopted get euthanized.

This is a book that celebrates diversity and being different, as well as having the courage to do things outside of your comfort zone.