Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I finished listening to The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl the other day, and I was struck by a few thematic similarities between that and You Go First. Unusually smart middle schooler with mental differences? Check. A girl having friend struggles with (an)other girl(s)? Check. Bullying? Check.

Here’s the thing. I actually feel guilty about this, having so very much enjoyed the other Erin Entrada Kelly books I’ve read, but I thought Stacy McAnulty did it better. Lucy is a different sort of character than Ben and Charlotte–she has more confidence in herself and lacks their domestic upheavals–but she does have challenges, and I loved McAnulty’s portrait of her struggles. Her interactions with her peers have their ups and downs, but the ups made the downs easier for me to read about (I spent a lot of time hurting for Charlotte and Ben). If you’ve ever wondered how a 12-year-old genius with an online high school diploma might handle middle school, Lucy’s story is definitely for you; it’s also for you, however, if you just want to read about a kid with strengths AND problems forging her way through 7th grade with imperfect determination and reluctant bravery. (Also if you’ve ever loved a dog. Which, admittedly, I haven’t. But still.) Bottom line? My 10-year-old and I both recommend The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.

My 13-year-old is still awaiting her turn.