The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which statement most accurately conveys how Lucy’s attitude toward her mathematical abilities changes throughout the text?

A) She learns that her special abilities are not really as unusual as she first thought.

B) She learns that it is easier to make real friendships if people do not know how different she is.

C) She learns that her abilities are an important part of who she is and should not be a secret.

D) She learns that it is wrong to use her special abilities to outshine other students her own age.

2. Which of the following interpretations of Nana’s choices for Lucy does the text as a whole best support?

A) Nana wants Lucy to be a more well-rounded and socially capable person before she leaves for college.

B) Nana thinks that Lucy’s talents make her strange and just wants her to be more like other people her age.

C) Nana believes that even talented people like Lucy need to work hard for rewards like going to college early.

D) Nana does not really believe that Lucy is as bright and talented as others believe Lucy is.

3. Which attitude toward Lucy’s OCD does the text seem to take?

A) Lucy needs to work through the discomfort her OCD causes in certain situations so that she can live a fuller life.

B) People who do not have OCD should find a way to structure the environment so that it does not upset people with the disorder.

C) Lucy’s OCD makes it impossible for her to live a normal life, and she should take medication to fix the problem.

D) OCD is not a serious disability, and Lucy needs to learn to not make a big deal out of small problems.

4. What do the compromises and changes that Lucy makes over the course of the novel reveal about her?

A) Lucy does not really like herself very much and is eager to be more like other people.

B) Lucy is the kind of person who is willing to give up too much to please others.

C) Lucy’s rigid routines and thought patterns are mostly just habits she can choose to break.

D) Whether she admits it or not, Lucy yearns to connect with other people.

5. Which moment is the turning point in Lucy’s attitude toward Cutie Pi?

A) When she realizes that his owner has abandoned him

B) When she sees the lightning bolt shape in his fur

C) When he sits in her lap for the first time

D) When she learns that he has brain cancer

6. What is foreshadowed when Windy tells Lucy about Levi’s page on ArtBoom?

A) Lucy’s fear that Windy will gossip about her math abilities

B) The bullying that Maddie later directs toward Lucy

C) Levi taking photos of the shelter dogs for their service project

D) Levi’s willingness to stay on the phone with Lucy when she is walking to the shelter

7. Which of the following characters never learns to accept and appreciate Lucy for who she really is?

A) Mr. Stoker

B) Maddie

C) Nana

D) Paul

8. Which aspect of Windy’s life is it most reasonable to assume helps her be empathetic toward Lucy?

A) The relationship between Windy’s mother and her sister

B) Windy’s family’s wealth and privilege

C) Windy’s long friendship with Maddie

D) The dislike that she initially feels toward Levi

9. What is one important lesson Lucy learns from her friendship with Levi?

A) A real friend cares about and is interested in the things that you care about and are interested in.

B) It is possible to be good friends with someone who does not fully understand you or accept everything about you.

C) Sometimes people have good intentions even when they do something that hurts you deeply.

D) There are many ways to be smart and interesting that do not involve mathematical ability.

10. Which event teaches Lucy the value of sacrifice and loyalty in friendship?

A) When Windy and Levi agree to the Pet Hut community service project

B) When Windy tries to defend Lucy by telling her secret at the birthday party

C) When Levi and Windy confront Ms. Fleming for trying to make Lucy read in class

D) When Windy provides wipes and hand sanitizer for Lucy during the sleepover

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. What mean nickname do the kids at school give Lucy, and what is Levi’s prediction about how this will change over time?

2. What is both good and bad about Lucy’s interest in the number pi?