Counting by 7s
Holly Goldberg Sloan (2013)
“A twelve-year-old genius loses everything and discovers that the family you build can be stronger than the one you were born into.”
Why This Book Matters
Became one of the most widely read middle-grade novels of the 2010s. Praised for its representation of neurodivergence, its multicultural cast, and its refusal to sentimentalize grief. Used extensively in schools to teach empathy, diversity, and the concept of found family. Named to numerous state reading lists and best-of-year lists.
Firsts & Innovations
One of the first major middle-grade novels to center a neurodivergent protagonist without labeling her with a specific diagnosis
Pioneered a multi-perspective structure in middle-grade grief narratives
Among the first widely read children's novels to center a Vietnamese-American family without making ethnicity the primary plot
Cultural Impact
Used in schools nationwide to teach empathy, grief processing, and the concept of found family
Praised by educators for representing diverse family structures and immigrant experiences
Influenced a wave of middle-grade novels featuring neurodivergent protagonists
Named to over 20 state reading award lists
Adapted for the stage by multiple children's theater companies
Banned & Challenged
Not widely banned or challenged. Occasional concerns about the depiction of parental death and the foster care system, but generally embraced by schools and libraries.