Counting by 7s

By: Holly Goldberg Sloan

Narrated by: Robin Miles

A New York Times best seller.

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 12-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by sevens. 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 audiobook 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 listen to.

©2013 Holly Goldberg Sloan (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Willow's story is one of renewal, and her journey of rebuilding the ties that unite people as a family will stay in readers' hearts long after the last page.” (School Library Journal, starred review)

“A graceful, meaningful tale featuring a cast of charming, well-rounded characters who learn sweet—but never cloying—lessons about resourcefulness, community, and true resilience in the face of loss.” (Booklist starred review)

“What sets this novel apart from the average orphan-finds-a-home book is its lack of sentimentality, its truly multicultural cast (Willow describes herself as a “person of color”; Mai and Quang-ha are of mixed Vietnamese, African American, and Mexican ancestry), and its tone.... Poignant.” (The Horn Book starred review)

Wonderful Story

This book made me laugh and cry and I enjoyed every moment of it. The narration was perfect and brought the story to life!

Life is open to interpretation!

This is a strong book about POV: yours and everybody else's. The narrator reads with inflection and grand characterization. Sloan reveals the perspective of teenagers and one adult, each possessing a variety of talents and challenges, who persevere in the face of life's surprises. (POV = point of view)

LOVED THIS BOOK

after this book so much it definitely touched my heart as a person I will always remember reading this book it teaches me how much I care about my family and to never let go of them

A new favorite

I found this story by accident, and what a happy accident it was. I feel forever changed after the opportunity to meet Willow Chance and a motley cast of characters in a story with so much heart you'll want to read it again yourself or share it with the next awesome human you meet.

I loved it!

I came to care about the characters. Reminds me how we are all interconnected.

A well told, sweet story!

I love reading/hearing a book that makes me immediately look for other books by the author. This story is believable and heartwarming; the kind of feel-good fiction I needed after a WWII first-person nonfiction memoir. I’ve already recommended “Counting by 7s” to my adult children!

Counting by 7’s review.

Very great book, made me inspired to work on life and enjoy the little things. I recommend this book to people who might be having a hard time, just to let them know people just like you are out there in the world as well and you will get through it, just like Willow Chance did.

Celeste

Counting by 7's was an remarkable story, it is amazing what young children like Willow can over come throughout their young lives.

Very moving!

Willow is a very special girl. I haven’t been this moved by a book in a long time. So much hope from so much sadness.

Characters are vivid

Willow’s unique perspective and progression from insularity to creating her own family is heartwarmingly satisfying.