Counting by 7s

Amazon Best Books of 2013 : Counting by 7's is a delightful, powerful, and beautifully written book that I can t forget and want to give to everyone around me. Holly Goldberg Sloan's quirky characters nestle into your heart and stay there, particularly 12-year-old Willow Chance. A young genius obsessed with the number seven, plants, and diagnosing medical conditions (especially skin disorders that she can surreptitiously photograph) Willow is a true outsider looking for a way in. Her parents tether her to the world, and when they are killed in a car crash Willow s comfortable sphere is shattered. Though a tragedy, the loss of her parents is also Willow s entry into the lives of others. The bond she forms with an unlikely cast of characters is heartfelt and transformative. Like Willow s beloved plants, these are people putting down new roots and rising toward the sun. --Seira Wilson