“ People usually find a good place for stray dogs, or for the elderly when they can no longer go up stairs or use a can opener. | Willow Chance’s young life could be defined as a pity-party (p.235), but amid the page turns of “Counting By 7s” by Holly Goldberg Sloan, the young teen blossoms in spite of the wrenching loss and grief that envelop her. This enchanting and lyrical novel, employing both first and third person narration, pulls the reader in with sharp observations and minimal sugar-coating. And what librarian wouldn’t appreciate that the library becomes a place of refuge as Willow navigates her upstream path. Willow, the central character, is a brilliant young teen obsessed with plants and gardens, medical conditions, and (in her “old” life) the number 7. Some might say she presents with behaviors that could place her on the Autism spectrum, but the combination of her fierce independence, innate need to connect with others even though in unconventional ways, and genius-level understanding of the other characters dispel that notion. When her parents are killed in a sudden car accident, Willow’s journey becomes intertwined with characters who grow with her throughout the story: the clueless school counselor, the overwhelmed caseworker, the philosophical cab driver, and two quite unexpected and invaluable peers -- a sister and brother duo -- and their savvy, hardworking immigrant mother. Willow may never “fit in” but she ultimately finds a home, a place of belonging, where she can be comfortable with her giftedness, her quirkiness, and her insatiable quest to know more. This gem of a novel presents real-life situations without a preachy, didactic tone. Willow’s dry, intensely accurate observations, her ability to advocate for herself, and the irony of numbers throughout such as her hospital ID (080758-7) (p. 147), will resonate even with the slightly jaded reader. Her introspection is hard-hitting: “Connectedness. One thing leads to another. Often in unexpected ways” (p. 307). The emerging friendship with siblings Mai and Quang-ha also reveal how friendships and family come in ALL shapes and sizes. And the novel wraps up with a lesson for all without any sugar coating: “I’m not brave; it’s just that all the other choices have been thrown out the window” (p. 361). Ultimately, it’s a group of seven: Willow, Mai, Quiang-ha, Pattie, Dell, Jairo, and Cheddar (the cat) who become family in the Gardens of Glenwood in Bakersfield. “If the last few months have proven anything, it’s that I don’t need more theory, but rather more experience with reality” (p. 364). And it is this family that creates the unique space that supports Willow’s swim into reality. Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Counting by 7s. New York: Dial for Young Readers, 2013. Print. ISBN: 9780803738553 Dewey: F Sloan Reading Range: Grades 5 to 8 Pages: 384 Classroom Connections: |