The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-11

Reading Check

1. How old is Lucy when she is struck by lightning?

2. After six semesters online, what school subject is Lucy still not very good at?

3. What kind of candy does Windy ask Lucy to bring to her apartment if she comes over to visit?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Nana and Paul’s main reason for wanting Lucy to go to a regular school?

2. What is Lucy trying to avoid by repeating things exactly three times, such as when she sits down three times in the principal’s office?

3. Why does going to the online math chat room after school make Lucy feel better?

4. What is Mr. Stoker’s explanation of why students have to show their work when they solve math problems?

Paired Resources

“OCD Explained for Beginners—How I Wish I Was Taught”

• In this 9-minute video, a clinical psychologist explains what OCD is and how it impacts those who have the disorder. [Note: At 5:20, Dr. Mattu begins talking about diagnosis and treatment--this last section of the video is less relevant to a classroom context.]
• How does Doctor Mattu describe OCD? Why does he suggest that people without the disorder are being insensitive when they use the term “OCD” to casually describe a desire for order or cleanliness? How does OCD “steal” time and opportunities from Lucy? How do the people around her misunderstand this disorder? How might Lucy’s life be different if the people around her truly understood OCD?

“Developing Your Soft Skills”

• In this article, the UK’s National Career Service explains what several key soft skills look like and how to develop them.
• This resource relates to the theme of More than Just Numbers.
• In Chapter 3, Nana tells Lucy that she needs to work on her “soft skills.” What are “soft skills”? Why does Nana think they are important? Now that you have read this article about soft skills, do you think that Nana’s plan will help Lucy?

Chapters 12-19

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 13, what book does Ms. Fleming let Lucy know the class will be reading?

2. Who ends up being the third member of Lucy and Windy’s community service project team?

3. What kind of images does Levi post on his ArtBoom page?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. When they first learn about the community service project, how do Lucy’s and Windy’s attitudes toward it differ?

2. When Lucy arrives at Windy’s for their sleepover, what details make it clear that Windy has planned in advance for ways to make Lucy feel more comfortable?

3. During their visit to The Pet Hut, what parts of their project does Lucy enjoy, and what parts of the project does she dislike?

4. When Lucy and Levi are talking in the office at The Pet Hut, what does Levi reveal about the math test?

Paired Resources

“Why Your Friends Are More Important Than You Think”

• In this interview from Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine, science journalist Lydia Denworth shares thoughts about the importance of friendship and some of the struggles involved in maintaining close friendships.
• This resource relates to the themes of Coming-of-Age: Discovering and Accepting Oneself and The Struggles of Friendship.
• According to Denworth, what are some of the benefits of friendship? What are some of the challenges? Is Lucy starting to see some of the benefits of friendship, or is she only being friends with Windy to please Nana? What are some of the challenges she faces in her friendship with Windy? Do you think that Lucy is learning new things about herself as a result of this friendship?

“A Time to Talk”

• This brief and accessible poem by Robert Frost considers the importance of making an effort for friends.
• This resource relates to the theme of The Struggles of Friendship.
• What is this poem saying about how to be a good friend? What details in the story show that Lucy is genuinely trying to be a good friend to Windy? How is this like the speaker of the poem walking over to the wall to talk? What discomforts of her own does Lucy have to ignore in order to be a good friend during the sleepover? How is this like the speaker of the poem ignoring the work he has left undone in order to make time to talk to his friend?

Chapters 20-29

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the black shepherd dog that Lucy and her friends write about in Chapter 24?

2. When Paul visits in Chapter 25, where do he and Nana take Lucy?

3. At report-card time, in which class does Lucy receive an “Incomplete”?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Chapter 21, what misunderstanding of the situation makes Nana so happy when she drives Levi and Lucy to The Pet Hut on Saturday?

2. Why does Lucy feel more comfortable telling Levi about her abilities than she feels telling Windy?

3. What prevents Lucy from adopting Cutie Pi herself?

4. Why does Claire want to give Cutie Pi up to animal control in Chapter 28?

Paired Resources

“Embracing Discomfort Can Help You Grow”

• This article from Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine summarizes new research into the value of embracing discomfort.
• This resource relates to the theme of Coming-of-Age: Discovering and Accepting Oneself.
• What did the researchers find is true about discomfort and personal growth? What about Lucy’s OCD makes it especially hard for her to embrace discomfort? What details in the story show that she is actively working to experience new things and grow even though it makes her uncomfortable?

“Marketing Joy”

• This article discusses the services and campaigns a nonprofit organization—For All Animals—offers to help animal shelters and rescues find pets their forever homes.
• According to this article, what are some of the creative ways that this organization serves shelter animals and communities? What approaches does the article say work well? How do you think the founders of For All Animals would respond to Lucy, Windy, and Levi’s project at The Pet Hut? Would Lucy, Windy, and/or Levi enjoy working for the For All Animals organization? If so, which role(s) or department(s) might they fit best in? Why?

Chapters 30-40

Reading Check

1. Where did Mr. Stoker get the question about octagons that he puts on Lucy’s quiz in Chapter 31?

2. How do the MathWhiz members react when Lucy criticizes them after she has a bad day at school in Chapter 36?

3. Who ends up adopting Cutie Pi?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. When Maddie tries to get Lucy to stay away from Windy’s party and then insults Lucy with her remark about the bathroom, what is she making fun of about Lucy?

2. Why are the adults particularly concerned about Jennifer after Lucy checks in with them at the water park?

3. In Chapter 38, how does a crisis bring Levi, Windy, and Lucy back together?

4. By the end of the book, which of Nana’s goals for her school year has Lucy met?

Recommended Next Reads 

Violet and the Pie of Life by Debra Green

• Twelve-year-old Violet loves math so much that she tries to use it to solve the problems in her family and friendships; eventually, she comes to terms with the fact that math just can’t solve everything.
• Shared themes include Coming-of-Age: Discovering and Accepting Oneself, The Struggles of Friendship, and More than Just Numbers.
• Shared topics include math, middle school, and discrimination.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

• This middle-grade graphic memoir shares Bell’s own experiences as a deaf student whose assistive technology, the Phonic Ear, unexpectedly gives her a “superpower” at school.
• Shared themes include Coming-of-Age: Discovering and Accepting Oneself and The Struggles of Friendship.
• Shared topics include middle school, fitting in, being the “new kid,” extraordinary abilities, disability, and discrimination.
• El Deafo on SuperSummary