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Counting
by 7s Is it possible that a youngster could lose two sets of parents in the first twelve years of her life? It happened to Willow Chance. Willow, a dark-skinned 12-year-old middle-schooler with wild curly hair was very young when she was adopted by a sweet couple who had always wanted a child but were never able to have one of their own. Finally, their dreams came true when Willow came into their lives. They could not have been prepared for the child's extreme giftedness. She was indeed a genius. But her mother and father found ways to challenge and stimulate her interests. Willow loved PLANTS, so her parents allowed her to grow a jungle-like garden in their back yard. There, she investigated, studied, experimented, and kept records of all she learned. Willow became extremely interested in studying human diseases and often watched people for symptoms. She read and kept extensive notes. With all her intelligence, gifts, and talents, one thing Willow could not do successfully was to make friends. She was socially awkward. Kids considered her an oddball. Even in her classes, her teachers did not understand her level of genius. After having flown through an achievement test in record time and making a perfect score, the teacher accused her of cheating. Willow was assigned a counselor, Mr. Dell Duke, who coincidentally was the biggest, fumbling, oddball of all. It was in Mr. Duke's counseling classes that Willow met Mai and her angry brother Quang-ha. Determined to make this friendship work, Willow quickly taught herself the Vietnamese language so she could talk with Mai. Shortly thereafter, Mai's family would become crucial to her surviving a coming tragedy. Willow was suddenly an orphan once again. Finding herself alone, plunged into a vacuum with nowhere to turn, Willow sank into deep grief and was taken in temporarily by Pattie Nguyen, Mai's and Quang-ha's mother who herself had known tragedy and grief as a young girl in Vietnam. Child Protective Services would soon begin checking living conditions in her temporary placement, and Pattie's garage with sleeping mats would certainly not meet the standards. What
would happen to Willow? In Counting by Sevens, Willow experiences death and dying, grief, loss of parents, becoming a foster child, and a recovery that entwines itself around the lives of everyone she touches. It is reminiscent of Winn-Dixie who fills the empty spaces of those around him. In her remarkable journey, the reader, too, will be amazed by the new life that begins in all of the characters. It is an amazing story, beautifully told by a masterful author. We hope that Counting by Sevens will receive a 2014 Newbery Award! --------------------------------------------------------- Research
Links for Holly
Goldberg Sloan Webpage Living
Through Grief
The Kids Wings 47-page literature guide PLUS interactive Jeopardy-type game, perfect for lesson plans, handouts, or projection on your SmartBoard for Counting by 7s is now available! This
Kids Wings Activity Guide Contains:
Counting by Sevens is included in the Kids Wings Trials and Courage Collection of literature guides for award-winning novels and intermediate-level picture books all on one convenient CD. Included are 848 pages of activities in 22 titles PLUS 18 "Jeopardy-type" games! You can purchase a literature guide individually for around $19.95, but if you order Trials and Courage Collection, you can get 29 literature guides for only $25, or less than $1 each! This is probably the greatest bargain in the USA, as long as quantities last!
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© 2014, Suzy Red, Lockhart, Texas
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