The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl: Chapters 1–10

by Stacy McAnulty
After she was struck by lightning at the age of eight, Lucy became a mathematical prodigy and developed obsessive compulsive disorder. Now, Lucy prefers to stay at home and solve equations, but her grandmother insists that Lucy tackle the most complex problem she's ever faced: middle school.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–27, Chapters 28–40
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. defibrillator
    electronic device to restore the normal rhythm of the heart
    Joe, the maintenance man, uses a defibrillator on me because the electricity from the lightning stopped my heart.
  2. acquired
    gotten through environmental forces
    The doctors call my condition acquired savant syndrome.
  3. savant
    a learned person
    Savant means that my math skills are far beyond normal, and acquired means I wasn’t born with this wacky ability.
  4. fluorescent
    brilliantly colored and apparently giving off light
    The number 12 is a set of cream-colored squares. The number 47 is a fluorescent-orange oval.
  5. constant
    a number representing a quantity with a fixed value
    Pi is my favorite mathematical constant.
  6. reclusive
    withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
    Lucky for me—and everybody else—I rarely have to meet people. I’m a reclusive genius.
  7. technically
    according to the exact meaning; according to the facts
    Uncle Paul said sometime after 4:00 p.m. It’s only 4:11. So, technically, he’s not late, and he won’t ever be, even if he doesn’t show up for days.
  8. deficiency
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
    “You can’t stay holed up in this apartment. What about friends? What about fresh air? She probably has a vitamin D deficiency.”
  9. forum
    a public facility to meet for open discussion
    “Yes, they’re online friends. I know them from the math forums and the tutoring websites.”
  10. deteriorate
    grow worse
    The best decision Nana ever made was taking me out of public school. Now she wants to send me back. Obviously, her judgment is deteriorating.
  11. plaque
    a tablet that commemorates a person or achievement
    When the tour’s done, Nana and I meet with the principal in his office. On his messy desk is a crystal plaque that says DISTRICT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR.
  12. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
    “Lucy’s very smart. Very, very smart.” She doesn’t say genius, or savant, or prodigy.
  13. algorithm
    a precise rule specifying how to solve some problem
    My real peers are creating algorithms and solving problems. They’ll be changing the world while I’ll be wasting time memorizing textbooks and ducking dodgeballs.
  14. rabid
    infected by an acute viral disease of the nervous system
    She’s a pretty girl with long blond hair and blue eyes covered in black eye shadow, but when she snarls, she looks like a rabid raccoon.
  15. microbe
    a minute life form, especially one that causes disease
    “We all carry germs and bacteria. They’re everywhere. We each have a cloud of microbes that swim around us. They’re called—”
  16. malaria
    a disease caused by parasites transmitted by mosquito bite
    “Did you know malaria kills 1 child every 30 seconds somewhere in the world?” She raises her eyebrows again. “Malaria is something to be afraid of. Not microbiomes.”
  17. stunt
    check the growth or development of
    Coffee isn’t bad for you. Some people say caffeine stunts your growth, but I’m fine with that. I’d like to stay this size.
  18. exponential
    involving a quantity being multiplied by itself
    But he’s touched the hand of every kid who walked into the room. The exponential magnitude of germ growth is disgusting. I force myself not to estimate the number of bacteria being passed around.
  19. magnitude
    the property of relative size or extent
    But he’s touched the hand of every kid who walked into the room. The exponential magnitude of germ growth is disgusting. I force myself not to estimate the number of bacteria being passed around.
  20. specifically
    in distinction from others
    I don’t think Mr. Stoker’s picking on me specifically. But I’m the only person not sitting.
  21. impression
    an imitative portrayal of a person
    “That was a good impression, Maddie,” a boy at the end of the table says over the laughing. “Y’all even look alike.”
  22. paparazzo
    a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities
    “Levi thinks he’s part of the paparazzi. He’s always taking pictures, and not on his phone. It’s weird.”
  23. hypothesis
    a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
    I should be dedicating my life to solving the unsolvable problems of mathematics, like the Riemann hypothesis or the Hodge conjecture.
  24. conjecture
    a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating
    I should be dedicating my life to solving the unsolvable problems of mathematics, like the Riemann hypothesis or the Hodge conjecture.
  25. haze
    harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks
    “Middle school is supposed to be the worst. It’s like a giant hazing for adulthood. We all gotta go through it.”
  26. assessment
    the act of judging a person or situation or event
    “This is an assessment,” Mr. Stoker continues. “To see where you are and where the class is as a whole. I’ll use it to determine where we need to start.”
  27. distinct
    recognizable; marked
    There’s a distinct giggle. Maddie.
  28. trigonometry
    the mathematics of three-sided figures and their functions
    I help in the calculus forum for 30 minutes, and then I check out the trigonometry page.
  29. probability
    a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur
    SquareHead314 and HipHypotenuse put up ridiculously easy math problems on the forums every day. Usually something like, “Susie and Sally are going to a brunch with 8 other people. What’s the probability they will sit next to each other?”
  30. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
    “Middle school is tough. There’s a lot of pressure coming at you from every angle. I think we can work this out and avoid any severe punishment. I’m not condoning cheating. And if it happens again, I will use the highest penalty in my power.”
Created on Thu Aug 22 10:37:34 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Sep 04 14:29:30 EDT 2019)

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