• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Twelve-year-old Tabitha is less than thrilled when her parents send her on a hiking trip with her cousins, Ashley and Cedar, and her Aunt Tess. For one thing, she's not much of a hiker. And she's pretty sure her cousins hate her. But even Ashley can't blame Tabitha for everything that goes wrong: the weather turns ugly, a bear comes into the cabin, Ashley and Tess are injured and Max, the family's beloved dog, disappears. When rescue finally arrives, Tabitha realizes that she is no longer the timid, out-of-shape girl she used to be. She's become strong, resourceful and brave in the face of adversity—no matter what form it takes.

Sara Leach hails from Whistler, BC, where she loves to ski, hike and bike. Her middle grade novel Count Me In won the Red Cedar Book Award for 2012/13. In addition to being a children's author, she is also an elementary school teacher-librarian. She has had the privilege of teaching several amazing students with Asperger Syndrome (now classified under Autism Spectrum Disorder), and her experience working with them inspired Slug Days.

 

Sara Leach's profile page

• Winner, Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

"This fish-out-of-water story will appeal to both urban and outdoorsy readers."

Resource Links

"Girls will especially like the strong female characters...The author creates believable characters, exciting situations and interesting conflicts."

Tacoma Public School District

"The characters and their motivations are well developed. The plot is simple, but entertaining, and the survival aspects of the story are realistic and suspenseful. Chapter transitions are smooth and easy to follow. Fans, including reluctant readers, of Gary Paulsen, Will Hobbs, and other writers of survival fiction will enjoy this book."

School Library Journal

"A gripping story for young readers, and it is impressive that, in a short book with accessible language, she has managed to capture suspense, realism, and an empathetic protagonist. The narrative unfolds at a mesmerizing pace, and the plot propels itself forward so that each page turn brings a new twist in the story. Perhaps the most captivating element of Count Me In lies in its realism. Both in the description of the physical landscape and the relationship between Tabitha and each of her family members, Leach has written a novel that is easy to visualize and understand...Count Me In succeeds in every way. It is difficult to write a suspenseful story in clear language for young readers, but Leach has surmounted the obstacle, and the result is a story that is touching and powerful. Young readers (and older story lovers, too) will find this book too good to put down. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"The setting is well realized, and the authentic action sustains interest...A taut adventure tale that features plenty of action and some troubled relationships."

Kirkus Reviews

Count Me In

Count Me In is both an adventure and a coming-of-age novel for pre-teens. Tabitha is a 12-year-old city girl whose parents insist that she join her aunt and cousins Cedar and Ashley on a weekend hike into the mountains above Squamish. Poor weather adds to Tabitha’s misery as they paddle a canoe and then hike to an isolated cabin. After a few miserable days they decide to return home but severe rainstorms have swollen the rivers so the group is unable to make it back. Injuries to both Aunt Tess and Ashley, a bear invasion, a runaway dog and rationed food add to the adventure. Tabitha’s parents notify search and rescue so the hikers are eventually rescued. Tabitha shows a growth in maturity as she deals with the difficulties she encounters at school and on the hike.

Caution: Description of toilet etiquette when camping.

Count Me In

Tabitha’s parents send her on a hiking trip to a remote BC lake with her cousins, Ashley and Cedar, and her Aunt Tess, and she is less than thrilled. When they get stuck on the mountain, are attacked by a bear and run out of food, Tabitha surprises herself and the others with her tenacity and courage. Will she be able to find their dog Max and turn Ashley’s hatred around?