Counting by 7s

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Reviewed by Jocelyn Chern

Fall 2016

REVIEW: Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan

ISBN # : 978-0-14-242286-1

THE STORY:

Willow Chance, a African-American, twelve year old girl, is different than the rest of her school. She is a genius. She is interested in everything, but medical conditions and plants interest her even more. She was adopted by a set of parents and never met her blood parents. Willow was a exuberant girl, living her own happy life, and taking care of her garden, with her new parents, but one day, when her school counselor, Dell, brings her home, after some ice-cream with her new friends, Mai and Quang-Ha, she realizes that her
parents have died in a car accident. She is left with nothing but Dell, who is a terrible counselor that can not deal with therapy problems, and her new friends, Mai and her brother, Quang-Ha. Willow immediately feels like her world has fallen apart and that she had lost all her hope. Mai knew at that time that this girl needed help, so she convinces her mother, Pattie, to take care of Willow temporarily. Living with Pattie and her family was not easy at first. Willow did not feel the same at Pattie’s house, but after a few days, she quickly adjusts to it. Throughout the story, Willow learns to get well with the family and soon finds hope in her life.

MY OPINION:

For me personally, realistic fiction books are my favorite. This book was one of my favorites because the author used a lot of descriptive language and “slowed down” some important scenes. The characters, the author created, were created so well, I felt like I was taking a tour in her brain and life. The character also helped me understand the story fully. The author also wrote eloquently, making it easy to understand and to the point. This book gives hope to those who need it. Kids who feel lost and lonely can learn that they can get through it and they have hope for the future. This book definitely is not too easy or hard for me, so I would recommend the book to fifth graders and middle schoolers, but this book is a really good book that gives a really good lesson, so anybody above fifth grade can read it. I really enjoyed this book, so I would rate it nine out of ten stars. I will definitely read it again. (

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. When Dell Duke drives Willow Chance home after school, who is parked in front of their house and why?

1a. Parked right in front of Willow’s house were two police cars. The police were there because Willow’s parents were in an accident and their lives were taken away. The police wanted to inform Willow about this. (Pg. 5-8)

2. Why was Willow sent to the behavioral counselor, Dell Duke?

2a. Willow received a perfect score on the state standardized test. She was sent to the Principal's office and was accused of cheating, even though she did not. The principal put in a request for her to see the behavioral counselor, at the district offices, because of “cheating.” (Pg. 35-37)

3. Why is Willow so eager to go to Mr. Dell Duke’s office one day?

3a. She wanted to see Mai and her brother, her new friends she made the day before. (Pg. 86)

4. How does Willow get to Mr. Duke’s office (instead of walking) and who helps her get there?

4a. She ordered a taxi and the first thing she asked was for the number of the taxi license and the proof for the compliance with brake and headlight requirements. She found out that the driver was Jairo and he’s been driving for Mexicano Taix, the company, for seven years. (Pg. 86)

5. What convinces Pattie to take care of Willow?

5a.The grief on Willow’s face convinces Pattie. The grief reminded Pattie of her young self in Vietnam, when she didn’t have any parents. Immediately, she signed paperwork which gave her the legal responsibility for Willow for twenty-four hours. (Pg. 120)

Ethnic (Pg. 11)

Jaundiced (Pg.24)

Bogus (Pg. 40)

Sauntered (Pg. 75)

Ballasts (Pg. 121)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. How does Quang-Ha feel when Willow stays with his family that day?

6a. Instead of feeling sorry for Willow, Quang-Ha feels bad for himself. He never asked to be born and never asked his father to leave them,. He also hates how his life smells like nail polish, but especially hates how he sleeps in his underwear, which had robots on them. His mother only buys things that are on sale, but Quang-Ha decided not to wear his underwear so he wears pants. He hates wearing pants at night because it twisted around his legs and made it impossible for him to move freely. (Pg. 129)

7. Why was Willow sent to the hospital?

7a. Willow fainted while reading the newspaper about the car crash that killed her parents. When she fainted, she hit her head on the elephant-shaped coffee table and the trunk sliced right in between her eyebrows. (Pg. 140)

8. Who does Jamison use to find clues for the “missing” Willow?

8a. They use Dell because he was counseling Willow and they think he might know where she is. (Pg. 148-149)

9. Why do they change Dell’s apartment?

9a. Dell’s apartment is unorganized and does not look like Pattie and her kids live there. He uses a full patio set instead of furniture. He has half-washed microwave trays and red disposable cups, plus, a super-messy room. The worst of all is his wall of underwear. (Pg. 191-192)

10. What causes Quang-Ha to calm down and not be angry?

10a. When the bottles broke, it left broken glass which caused him to be angry, but when they sent small spots of color into the room, he and Willow decide to break all of them to form a stained glass window.

Laceration (Pg. 142)

Crypsis (Pg. 153)

Carcinogenic (Pg. 168)

Provocative(Pg. 189)

Peripheral (Pg. 253)

                               

LAST SECTION

11. Why does Quang-Ha come home, one day, upset?

11a. WIllow helped Quang-Ha write his Mark-Twain paper and Quang-Ha deleted the first paragraph and misspelled a lot of words, but it was not enough. He was moved out of his English class and put in the Honors/AP program. (Pg. 261)

12. Why does Jairo ask Willow if she saw his picture in the news?

12a. Jairo won twenty thousand dollars and he was using it to go to college, which Willow suggested before he got the money. (Pg. 284)

13. Why does the whole building need to be power sprayed?

13a. When Dell and Willow used the Rototiller, the soil went everywhere, so Willow and Mai decided to use a power spray to wash the soil off. Quang-Ha comes to help, but as he was spraying, Willow noticed that the paint and the stucco underneath the dirt was also being removed, leaving a patch of gray. They decided to spray the whole building to even it out. (Pg. 307)

14. Why does Dell put up his “building rep” sign again?

14a. Henry, a friend of Willow’s lost father, decided to give Willow a gift and the gift was a garden. They brought all different kinds of plants and solar-powered lights. When the garden was finished, the looks on the residents’ faces were astonishing, so Dell wanted the residents to know he was related to the transformation. (Pg. 335-336)

15. Who ends up being Willow’s legal guardians?

15a. Pattie and Jairo are Willow’s legal guardians. (Pg. 370-371)

Gist (Pg. 263)

Amassing (Pg. 288)

Palindrome (Pg. 301)

Feline (Pg. 317)

Insurmountable (Pg. 325)