Counting by 7’s is a book about a girl named Willow Chance. She’s exceedingly smart, yet she’s having trouble fitting in at school. She lost both of her parents due to a car accident and she’s trying her best to not struggle. Overall, I believe that the most inspiring part of this novel is how people around Willow such as Dell, Mai, Quang-Ha, and lots of other individuals tried their best to help Willow go through her life without her parents. They were all courageous and tried their best to make her feel better as days goes on. This shows that how there are warmhearted people in the society, and I feel great for Willow because the people around her are all kindhearted. I enjoyed the book, and this is definitely a book that I’ll recommend to people who enjoys reading realistic fiction.
Counting by 7s
By Holly Goldberg Sloan
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 3 - 8 | X | 5.6 | 62677 |
In the tradition of Out of My Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird, this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family.
Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn't kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.
Suddenly Willow's world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.
"In achingly beautiful prose, Holly Goldberg Sloan has written a delightful tale of transformation that's a celebration of life in all its wondrous, hilarious and confounding glory. Counting by 7s is a triumph."--Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette
"Holly Goldberg Sloan writes about belonging in a way I've never quite seen in any other book. This is a gorgeous, funny, and heartwarming novel that I'll never forget."--John Corey Whaley, author of Where Things Come Back
"Willow Chance subtly drew me into her head and her life, so much so that I was holding my breath for her by the end. Holly Goldberg Sloan has created distinct characters who will stay with you long after you finish the book."--Sharon Creech, Newbery Award-winning author of Walk Two Moons
Book Reviews (145)
I read the book Counting by 7s by Holly Sloan. This book is about a 12 year old girl, her name is Willow Chance. She was adopted, she's not a typical girl, almost everything interests her and she is a genius. Since she isn't "normal" it's hard for her to make friends, until she meets a high school girl, her name is Mai, she really likes her and hopes that they will become better friends. This is realistic fiction because all of the events that happen in this book could happen in real life. For example, Willow's parents died in a car crash, a lot of people die from car accidents in real life too. I think that anyone can read this book and enjoy it because it isn't one of those books that are specific for one gender, also the events in this book could happen to anyone and be relatable to anyone. Willow had an internal conflict when she was deciding if she should stand up to her counselor Dell with Mai even though she wasn't completely sure if it was the right thing to do. Willow also had a external conflict (man vs society), when she has wearing her favorite gardening outfit and a girl thought she was a janitor and she was wondering if she should change how she looks so that, that doesn't happen again.
This was a very moving story. Many kids can identify being an outsider at school and in life. The book was kind of sad though.....
A great inspirational book. Love the alternating point of views.
It is an amazing book about losing your parents and putting your life back together. A truly wonderful book.
Willow is a 12 year old girl, who is a genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who counts by 7s for comfort. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life, but that has changed. Now Willow’s world is changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone. THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK, READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am only a few chapters in, but so far I like it. I already know so much about Willow Chance and she sounds like a very nice and sweet person.
sad book but I LOVE this book!!! I would suggest u read this. Thanks for reading my review and have an amazing day!!! ~ catface173
I LOVED this book sooooooooooooooo much! Everyone should read it!!!
I found this book to be interesting and inspiring. Willow Chance is one tough cookie. <i> Counting By 7's </i> is a really meaningful story about a girl who has trouble fitting in. In school she has no friends and goes to counseling because she is so smart that the teacher thought she cheated. To make matters worse, tragedy gets thrown right at her. This book is a great reminder that there is always someone that's in a worse situation than you.