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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Iniziando a leggere questo romanzo pensavo di aver trovato una delle mie letture preferite di quest'anno: la protagonista originale e assolutamente se stessa, un percorso di terapia e degli amici fuori dal comune, il tutto riunito in un libro per ragazzi. La perfezione.
Peccato che la seconda metà del libro si è rivelata essere davvero noiosa. Pagine e pagine di nulla per arrivare ad un finale super scontato.
Peccato che la seconda metà del libro si è rivelata essere davvero noiosa. Pagine e pagine di nulla per arrivare ad un finale super scontato.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Category: Realistic Fiction
Title: Counting by 7’s
Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Date Published: September 16, 2014
Age Appropriateness:
- This book would be appropriate for mature fifth graders- ninth graders. There are heavy topics and big ideas. I think students should be older in order to understand their importance.
Summary:
- In the story, Counting by 7’s, the main character Willow Chance begins her journey at a new middle school where she demonstrates her vast knowledge of numbers, plants, and her strength in school. Although it’s never stated, as an older reader, it was evident to see that Willow exhibits traits of autism through what she thought and her actions. Soon after starting at this new school, Willow meets a group of people she will depend on for the rest of the story– Mai, her brother Quang-ha, their mother Pattie, her counselor Dell Duke, and her taxi driver she calls Jairo. These people take care of Willow after her mother and father are killed in a fatal car accident. Willow stops going to school, stops counting by 7’s, and only speaks when she needs to. After a while, Willow finally begins to take back her life– she does this by growing sunflowers and writing a report to begin a garden. In the end, Willow accepts her fate that she will enter a group foster home. However, the best thing happens and she is placed into custody of Pattie and Jairo (who are apparently seeing each other to everyone’s surprise). My summary did not do this beautiful written and painful story much justice, but I highly recommend it.
Review:
- The heavy topic of death is very prevalent in this story and I think it’s extremely important to keep that in mind for the students you are teaching. The protagonist learns to grow through this extremely difficult time, which is so beautiful, but it is also important to remember this is not how it is for all students. On the other hand, I think it’s a great story to teach about pain, perseverance, and having hope in things bigger than oneself. There is no way Willow could’ve gotten through the difficult time herself, so it’s important to remember where the strength comes from.
Wowowow. I am so deeply moved by this book. Should be required reading.
Not for me - something lacking in the writing. Never warmed at all to Dell or Pattie (). And so very heart wrenching watching Willow deal with her loss. As a parent, it was really hard to read about her pain. So, it just wasn't my cup of tea, but it is a favorite book of two of the 12yos in the tween book club I run. They chose it for our middle school book club's May 2023 read. Maybe at the meeting, they will change my mind.
Spoiler
she had all that money and let her kids live in poverty?! I'm not buying that any good mom, which surely she is meant to be, would do that
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not long ago, I had a lot of fear.
Now it feels like there's not a lot left to be afraid about.
- willow chance
Second time reading this book. The rate stays the same yet I now understand the story more. At first I thought that the title doesn't have any relation to the story, I stand corrected. It makes sense now in my second time reading it.
Now it feels like there's not a lot left to be afraid about.
- willow chance
Second time reading this book. The rate stays the same yet I now understand the story more. At first I thought that the title doesn't have any relation to the story, I stand corrected. It makes sense now in my second time reading it.
Giving in is not the same thing as giving up, and nothing is for certain. I really really enjoyed this book. There were numerous moments that made me smile and chuckle at it, Willow is naturally funny without aiming to be and Dell and Qung- Ha were great comic relief. (And poor Cheddar, at least everything was good for him haha)
I've read some crazy good reviews of this book and while I liked things about it a lot, overall, I was left kind of scratching my head. It struck me very much the same way "Wonder" did. Good but didn't quite come together for me, party because of an ABSURDLY pat ending that kind of comes out of nowhere, and to me, doesn't make any sense with the character of Pattie up to that point. I wanted to like it more than I did.
While I am all for including characters with various disabilities, I am disappointed with what seems to be an increasingly popular trope of "magical autistic character" who manages to inspire a community despite his/her disability and/or tragic backstory. I think it does a disservice to people with disabilities and is unrealistic.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated