Counting By 7’s is a 380 paged realistic fiction book written by Holly Goldberg Sloan. It revolves around the life of the protagonist Willow Chance as she discovers new truths about herself and the world around her. ♔♔♔

Willow Chance is a genius. She takes interest in activities most of her peers do not such as reading, studying, and learning, her favorite topics being botany and pathology. Her interests and high level of maturity make it difficult for her to make friends. Despite her lack of fellowship, she is content with her life.
In the beginning of the new school year (which is presumed to be year seven, as Willow herself is twelve), Willow is accused, on the basis of her perfect score, of cheating on an exam. She is referred to a school counselor for ‘behavioral’ issues. It is there that she meets the ineffective Dell Duke, who is stunned by her immense knowledge. He adds another category to the “Dell Duke …show more content…
During Quang Ha’s session, Dell Duke’s cat, Cheddar, goes missing. The two girls bond while searching for Cheddar and begin their fateful friendship.
Unfortunately, her charming life ceases to exist when her adoptive parents, Jimmy and Roberta Chance, are killed in a fatal traffic collision. Willow, who was in a state of disbelief and depression, was temporarily taken in by Pattie Nguyen, Mai and Quang - Ha’s mother.
Pattie was aware that her one room garage would not be considered a suitable home when Social Services came to check on Willow, so she made the executive decision to set Willow’s legal residence at Dell Duke’s apartment complex, the Gardens of Glenwood. After renovating his untidy apartment to appeal to the social worker, the Nguyens move into it, as weekly visitations from Social Services could be handled easier. This forced Dell Duke to move in with Sadhu Kumar, a vegetarian who lived down the