One of this year’s Sunshine State books by Holly Goldberg Sloan entitled “Counting by 7s” is by far one of this year’s preeminent Sunshine State books. I personally believe you will take pleasure in reading this novel about loss, friendship, and love. A young genius girl named Willow Chance learns to bond with other people and has to find a new family after her parents died in a car accident. The main characters in the book are Willow Chance, Mai, Quang-ha, and Pattie Nguyen, Dell Duke, and Jairo Hernandez. Holly Sloan has an inimitable way of linking the readers to the story. She makes you feel the emotions of each and every character. She furthermore integrated numerous plot twists. But most importantly, she shows us the emotional impact of losing the ones you love. …show more content…
Her new parents Roberta and Jimmy Chance loved and took excellent care of her. They were apprehensive about her because she was often excluded from social activities and had little to no friends. Some of her preferred hobbies included: gardening, medical conditions, and counting by 7s. When she just starts to make a couple of new friends, she finds out her parents died in a car accident. Her world comes crashing down and she must learn how to cope with it and find a new family. Yet, she manages to touch and brighten up almost everyone she knows lives in the process. This story takes place in Bakersfield, California in the 21st century. Since this part of California has a lot of deserts, it shows us how smart and how strong her love for plants are because she grows a plethora of different plants in this