Counting by 7s Audiobook By Holly Goldberg Sloan cover art

Counting by 7s

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Counting by 7s

By: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

A New York Times Bestseller

In the tradition of Out of My Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird, this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family.

 Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.
 
Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.
  


* “Willow's story is one of renewal, and her journey of rebuilding the ties that unite people as a family will stay in readers' hearts long after the last page.”—School Library Journal starred review

* “A graceful, meaningful tale featuring a cast of charming, well-rounded characters who learn sweet—but never cloying—lessons about resourcefulness, community, and true resilience in the face of loss.”—Booklist starred review

* “What sets this novel apart from the average orphan-finds-a-home book is its lack of sentimentality, its truly multicultural cast (Willow describes herself as a “person of color”; Mai and Quang-ha are of mixed Vietnamese, African American, and Mexican ancestry), and its tone. . . . Poignant.”—The Horn Book starred review

"In achingly beautiful prose, Holly Goldberg Sloan has written a delightful tale of transformation that’s a celebration of life in all its wondrous, hilarious and confounding glory. Counting by 7s is a triumph."—Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette Family Life Growing Up & Facts of Life Difficult Discussions Social & Life Skills Heartfelt Literature & Fiction Inspiring Funny

Critic reviews

Praise for Counting By 7s:

“A graceful, meaningful tale featuring a cast of charming, well-rounded characters who learn sweet—but never cloying—lessons about resourcefulness, community, and true resilience in the face of loss.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Bright and heartfelt […] an uplifting story.”—Kirkus

“What sets this novel apart from the average orphan-finds-a-home book is its lack of sentimentality, its truly multicultural cast (Willow describes herself as a “person of color”; Mai and Quang-ha are of mixed Vietnamese, African American, and Mexican ancestry), and its tone. . . . Poignant.”—The Horn Book (starred review)

"A deeply original tale . . . Readers will rejoice." —BCCB (starred review)

“Willow’s story is one of renewal, and her journey of rebuilding the ties that unite people as a family will stay in readers’ hearts long after the last page.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

Featured Article: The top 100 kids books of all time


Listening to a story is the first way that we’re introduced to books as kids. And while our parents and grandparents (and babysitters and siblings!) are no doubt wonderful narrators who left indelible marks on our bookish hearts, the performances featured on this list elevate these stories to new heights. Representing listens for kids ages 0-12, and featuring animals, magical creatures, awkward middle schoolers, and more, our kids essentials will help you rediscover the magic of childhood.

Featured Article The top 100 kids books of all time
Heartwarming Story • Touching Narrative • Stellar Performance • Inspiring Message • Emotional Journey

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
This is a great book for all those who think they are a misfit, and oddball, a lone wolf or any other label. Life lessons in this book make you route of the heroine and the people who love her.

Counting by 7's lived up to its Award Nominee Statis

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was so deep but it's talks about what happens in life👏🏻👏🏻✌🏻️ I am doing for a book review and I have a lot to say ,there were many conflicts and resolutions I hope I will get an A+👏🏻👏🏻😘🍌✌🏻️

So sweet👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I did quite like this book. For reference this isn’t a quick read. There are parts that run on for a pretty long time in my opinion. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good happy ending and is a pretty advanced reader.

Pretty good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
We love to listen to books in the car. I want entertaining with a good message for my kids ages 8-13. This book has both. We all enjoyed it.

Great book for kids & adults!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
it's probably just preference but I don't like when a reader tries to do voices. I just want to hear the story and put my own voices with it.

Good Story but Reader Detracted

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews