Counting by 7s
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Striking tale of quirky girl connecting after parental loss.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
Funny as well as sad
Report this review
Beautiful, touching and original story!
Report this review
What's the Story?
Willow Chance is a 12-year-old adopted girl in Bakersfield, CA, a self-described "person of color" who's obsessed with gardening, rare skin conditions and other medical oddities, teaches herself Vietnamese, and counts by sevens to relax. Her white parents are the only people who really understand her -- her teachers never do, and her only friend moved away. At the start of middle school she scores 100 percent on a standardized test, prompting her teacher to send her to the school counselor, assuming she cheated. The counselor, a sloppy, burned-out slacker, snaps out of his doldrums when he figures out she's a genius, not a cheater. After Willow loses her parents in a car crash, the counselor takes an interest in her and two other misfit students of his -- a teen brother and sister -- and all of their lives become entwined with devastated Willow's.
Is It Any Good?
This amazing novel offers an indelible, appealing outsider protagonist and a cast of quirky, good-hearted characters who intersect against a backdrop of a 12-year-old's unimaginable loss. Chapters are variously narrated either by Willow or an omniscient narrator. The ones in Willow's voice are filled with offbeat "field note" observations and dry humor, as well as stunning metaphors that capture the numbing experience of grief, such as "Life, I now realize, is just one big trek across a minefield and you never know which step is going to blow you up."
But Willow doesn't become bitter, and the novel is more heartwarming and uplifting than sad. Her teen friends' immigrant single mother, who's struggled to provide for her kids, kindly steps up to help Willow, and the girl appreciates how she maintains her even disposition no matter what life throws at her: "Maybe that's what happens when you've been through a lot," Willow reflects. "All of your edges are worn off, like sea glass. Either that or you shatter."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about grief. Have you had any family members pass away? How did your family cope with the loss?
How hard is it to be someone known as "different" in middle school? Why is there so much pressure to conform?
What's the definition of a family? Is it just blood relatives, or can you create a family and sense of home with friends and caring adults who have your best interests at heart?
Book Details
- Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship, Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books
- Publication date: August 29, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Coming-of-Age Books
Books with Strong Female Characters
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate