Counting Thyme
About
Newbery-winning Rules meets Counting by 7s in this affecting story of a girl’s devotion to her brother and what it means to be home
When eleven-year-old Thyme Owens’ little brother, Val, is accepted into a new cancer drug trial, it’s just the second chance that he needs. But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme’s best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn’t exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.
After Val’s treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life—she’d give anything for him to be well—but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home.
With equal parts heart and humor, Melanie Conklin’s debut is a courageous and charming story of love and family—and what it means to be counted.
A 2016 Nerdy Book Award Winner!
All the Wonders Best of 2016 Book Winner!
A Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year Selection 2017
SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards Finalist 2017
International Literacy Association’s Teachers’ Choices Selection 2017
Finalist for the Missouri Mark Twain Book Award
Finalist for the Iowa Children’s Choice Award
Finalist for the Illinois Bluestem Award
Finalist for the Arkansas Charlie May Simon Award
Praise for this book
“An absolute must read.”
“Counting Thyme shows how a serious illness can tear the fabric of a family apart, and love can stitch it back together again. This deeply moving story of family, friendship and belonging will settle deep in your heart and stay there long after the final page is read.”
“[T]he underlying theme of hope even through sadness with hints of humor scattered throughout gives it a unique touch like no other book I’ve read…I would and will choose to read Counting Thyme again and again, and each time I will enjoy it as much as I did the first time.”
“Debut author Conklin writes with a pitch-perfect middle-grade voice… A nice choice for middle-grade readers who enjoy heartfelt and emotional novels.”
“Thyme’s remarkable perseverance and resilience will inspire readers of Conklin’s compassionate tale."
“[A] sweet book that will strum the heartstrings of readers.”
“Conklin successfully weaves together the shifting dynamics of a loving family under crisis with the less dramatic but equally heartfelt turmoil of coming of age in a new environment.”
“Melanie Conklin brings New York vividly to life in Counting Thyme, a gentle story fueled by heart, hope, and beautifully developed characters.”
“Melanie Conklin’s debut Counting Thyme is a heartfelt depiction of family, change, and acceptance populated by characters that are sure to leave a lasting impression.”
“This was an emotional read for me with cancer being such a big part of the story, but as much as this did make me cry, the author managed to show hope through Thyme’s family and the new friends she encounters. There were so many times I laughed in the midst of it all. I can’t tell you my favorite part of the book until you read it, but it was one of the most powerful lines I’ve read in a long time.”