Stacy McAnulty > Quotes

“Levi and I live in the same world, but we see things very differently. I guess it would be boring if we all had the same view.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Don’t be afraid of numbers. Use them to compute your solutions. Look at the world as it is intended.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“And changing the world is a tall order for someone who is just trying to survive each day.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Feeling wanted beats feeling safe. So I stay.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Other people might need to add in friends or sports or money or something else, but my equation is already solved.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“This is pi to the 500th decimal place: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432664821339360726024914127372458700660631”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Nana gives me a ride to school the next morning because I accidentally miss the bus. I consider accidentally falling out of the car, but that would probably hurt.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“1 year, 1 friend, 1 activity, 1 book.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“LG, if you can solve this freakin’ problem, I’m going to marry you and we’ll make little lightning babies.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Plus, I needed a jolt. I stayed up all night listening to Hamilton.” “Okay?” I don’t mean for it to sound like a question. “The Tony Award–winning musical,” she says. “You know it, right?” I shake my head. “I’m not into music.” “You should listen to it. Life-changing!”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“π=3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432664821339360726024914127372458700660631”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“She shrugs. Windy likes to think big, and she needs someone else to pull her back to earth. I’m her gravity.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Life is like an equation, and mine is perfectly balanced. Nana + Uncle Paul + Math = Happiness Other people might need to add in friends or sports or money or something else, but my equation is already solved.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“MathWhiz?” I ask. “Yes,” Mr. Stoker says. “My user name is—” “SquareHead314?” Could I have been friends with a teacher? “No. Don’t laugh. It’s MathMaster. I’m not really on that much.” I recognize the name. I always thought I deserved it. I even considered asking him/her to give it up. I was willing to math-duel for it.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“I worry she might know my ability and my secret, and quoting Einstein will only make her more suspicious. So I lie and say my favorite quote is Dory’s famous line from Finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming.” She nods like this makes complete sense.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Lightning. It’s your good-luck symbol.” Uncle Paul helps me put it on. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Right?” “I wouldn’t recommend getting struck. Lightning kills an average of 47 people in America every year and severely injures hundreds, maybe thousands.” To my disappointment, the government only keeps an accurate count of those who die.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Mack Jefferson, my best—and only—friend, reads to me from his Braille edition of The Outsiders. I’m spread out on the floor of my bedroom with my dog, Bubbles, running my hand through her soft belly fur and wondering if we have any pudding cups in the pantry. Also wondering if Mack will notice if I slip out for a few minutes. Probably. I’ve tried in the past. “Elle, are you even listening?” he asks. “Of course. Always. I love this book.” “Lies. All lies.” Mack uses a ridiculous accent like he’s a vampire from Transylvania, when actually he’s a black, blind twelve-year-old kid from North Carolina. “Just keep reading.” I pull Bubbles into my lap. “Dude, I finished the chapter.” “Oh, good.” That means our language arts homework is done. Mack’s a good student. I’m a student. “Do you want to—” A loud knock interrupts me. Bubbles jumps up, barks once, and then hides under my bed.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The World Ends in April

“The”
― Stacy McAnulty, The World Ends in April

“That guy who wrote the Hamilton musical will make a new song to raise money.” I force a laugh that lasts too long.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The World Ends in April

“That’s not what I mean.” I’d been hoping that Nana would change her mind about middle school. I refused to give her my records of classes and grades. But she figured out my password (lucy31415; I need to think of something harder) and printed my files. She only took the records through 6th grade, nothing higher. “Lucy, we’ve been over this. Give it a year. You can always start college when you’re 13. That’s still 5 years earlier than most people.” “There’s a 12-year-old boy starting at Cornell this month!” “Well, he obviously has a nicer grandmother than you do. College can wait.” “It can wait 1 year? That’s it, right? Can I get that in writing?” I slide my lightning-bolt necklace under my shirt. “I promise.” She says it too easily. “Give it 1 year and really make a go of it. Make 1 friend. Do 1 thing outside of these walls. Read 1 book not written by an economist or a mathematician.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Girl Scouts,”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“When she finished, I had a blond (slightly bluish) bowl that barely covered my ears. Dad didn’t laugh when he saw me. He gave me the saddest smile and said, “You’re still beautiful to me.” Which means, to everyone else I resemble a troll.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The World Ends in April

“Idon’t remember the moment that changed my life 4 years ago. Call it a side effect of being struck by lightning. That bolt of electricity burned a small hole in my memory. It also rewired my brain, transforming me into Lucille Fanny Callahan, math genius.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Uncle Paul doesn’t laugh. “You can’t stay holed up in this apartment. What about friends? What about fresh air? She probably has a vitamin D deficiency.” “I have friends, and I get plenty of vitamin D. I take a gummy vitamin every morning.” “How many?” Nana asks. “Vitamins?” “Friends?” “Um…” This is actually a hard answer to calculate. What makes someone a friend? A shared interest? Is there a minimum amount of time you need to spend together? Does the other person need to call you a friend, too? Nana rubs the back of her neck. “I think this is the real—” “4!” I shout. “I have 4 friends.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“social media.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“What about your parents? Where are they? Dead or something?” “Yeah.” “Oh my god, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” I hold up a hand to stop her apology. “It’s okay. My mom died of ovarian cancer when I was a baby. I don’t remember her. And I never knew my dad. He didn’t stick around.” Uncle Paul says my dad split 2 seconds after the pregnancy test came back positive, and that it was a good decision for all of us—especially me. Windy’s eyebrows lift high on her face, and her lips turn down. “Lucy, I’m so sorry. You’re like an orphan.” I laugh. “Stop. Please. I’m not an orphan.” I’ve thought of myself as a genius, a savant, and a freak, but never an orphan. Nana has always been there, and Uncle Paul, too. “I’m fine. I don’t need you to collect canned goods for me or give me a coat for winter. I have a family.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“maybe category with the majority. It made his stomach hurt. “At least I’m still the tallest,” Benji said. “Maybe that’ll give me a chance.” “Maybe.” Felix closed his water bottle. He’d said maybe, but he’d already put Benji on Team No. “Thanks for the encouragement.” Benji slammed his metal water bottle down on the metal bench. It sounded like a bell ringing.”
― Stacy McAnulty, Millionaires for the Month

“Bangladesh.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“I’m pretty sure you could end up in a juvenile detention center if you ever use Wikipedia on any project.”
― Stacy McAnulty, The World Ends in April