Independent Thinking Theme Analysis

Holly Goldberg Sloan’s Counting by 7s is the story of Willow, a 12-year-old girl who doesn’t think like anyone else around her. She has unusual interests, like a passion for medical diagnoses and an obsession with the number 7. She is confident in her opinions and has no problem declaring that the way other people think is wrong. For example, she notices that other people in school dress in different ways to signify their social groups, but she believes it would be more efficient if everyone just came to school in identical lab coats. Willow’s inability to conform initially causes her to feel out of place at school. Things come to a head when the principal accuses Willow of cheating on a test, refusing to accept that Willow might be smart enough to figure out the right answers on her own. This highlights how Willow’s different way of thinking causes her to be ostracized.

But while the beginning of the book shows how independent thinking can be isolating, the latter portion of the book shows how Willow’s unusual perspective helps her connect with other people around her and even make their lives better. Perhaps Willow’s most ambitious project is to construct a garden at Dell’s apartment complex. Dell never even considers the possibility that he could improve his property, but soon Willow enlists him, Mai, Quang-ha, and Pattie to clear away the rocks, clean the whole building, and plant sunflowers. This difficult but impressive project, along with Willow’s other efforts, helps characters like Dell and Quang-ha find the passion and motivation to work hard to improve their lives, with Dell getting into fitness and Quang-ha improving his grades. Counting by 7s illustrates how, while thinking and acting independently can sometimes be alienating, it nevertheless has the power improves people’s lives by inspiring people to set and achieve more ambitious goals.