Wonder
R. J. Palacio
Like Willow, August Pullman is an outsider narrating his own story with humour and honesty. Both books show a child who is different winning over a community one person at a time, without losing their individuality.
12 books to read next
Books Like Counting by 7s
If you loved Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Readers who love Counting by 7s usually fall for Willow Chance herself: a brilliant, socially unusual twelve-year-old who sees the world in patterns and facts. The book pairs that clear-eyed voice with real grief, a warm and varied cast of people, and a hopeful, unsentimental tone. It is funny and tender without being saccharine, and its pace moves through a search for family rather than a single plot twist. The picks below follow those threads.
Outsiders finding their place
Mockingbird
Kathryn Erskine
Caitlin sees the world differently and must cope with a sudden loss that upends her life. Its sensitive, direct narration of grief and difference will appeal to readers who connected with Willow's voice.
The Thing About Jellyfish
Ali Benjamin
A curious, science-minded girl who struggles to connect with others searches for answers after a loss. Its careful blend of scientific wonder and grief echoes Willow's fascination with nature and her quiet determination.
Grief and found family
The war that Saved my Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ada, a girl who has never been allowed outside, finds a new home with an unexpected guardian. Like Willow's story, it follows a damaged young character building trust and belonging with unlikely adults.
Front Desk
Kelly Yang
Mia, a resourceful immigrant girl, takes on responsibility and makes unexpected friends in a motel. Its warm found-family feel and focus on kindness and community mirror the spirit of Counting by 7s.
Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo
Opal, a lonely ten-year-old, befriends a stray dog and slowly draws a town of odd, lovable people into her life. Its gentle humour and sense of community suit readers who enjoyed Willow's surrogate family.
Curious minds and nature
Wonderstruck
Brian Selznick
Two deaf children separated by decades search for a missing parent in New York. Selznick's blend of words and pictures captures the same sense of a curious young mind piecing together a bigger world.
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Brian is stranded in the wilderness after a crash and must rely on his wits and observation of nature. Readers who loved Willow's knowledge of plants and her resourcefulness under pressure will enjoy his survival story.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown
A robot washes up on an island and learns to survive among animals, adapting with curiosity and care. Its quiet attention to nature and its theme of finding one's place mirror Willow's journey.
Go deeper with heart
Anne of Green Gables
L. M. Montgomery
An imaginative orphan is taken in by a family who did not expect her, and she gradually builds a life there. Its vivid, funny narration and themes of belonging suit readers who loved Willow's voice.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan
A girl forced to rebuild her life after sudden loss must find strength and new family in an unfamiliar place. Its emotional resilience and attention to community echo the heart of Counting by 7s.
A Long Walk to Water
Linda Sue Park
Based on a true story, it follows young people facing loss and displacement while holding onto hope and kindness. Readers drawn to Willow's perseverance through grief will find its emotional honesty moving.
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