The Seventh Most Important Thing

by Shelley Pearsall

Overview

This “luminescent” (Kirkus Reviews) story of anger and art, loss and redemption will appeal to fans of Lisa Graff’s Lost in the Sun and Vince Vawter’s Paperboy.

NOMINATED FOR 16 STATE AWARDS!
AN ALA NOTABLE BOOK
AN ILA TEACHERS CHOICE
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
 
Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie forever. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him.
 
Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .
 
Inspired by the work of folk artist James Hampton, Shelley Pearsall has crafted an affecting and redemptive novel about discovering what shines within us all, even when life seems full of darkness.
 
“A moving exploration of how there is often so much more than meets the eye.” —Booklist, starred review
 
“There are so many things to love about this book. Remarkable.” —The Christian Science Monitor

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553497311
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	30,756
Product dimensions:	5.19(w) x 7.63(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

A former teacher and museum historian, Shelley Pearsall is now a full-time author. Her first novel, Trouble Don’t Last, won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. The idea for The Seventh Most Important Thing began many years ago when she first saw outsider artist James Hampton’s amazing work. She was disappointed that so little is known about Hampton and was intrigued that his work was brought to light by anonymous sources. It was the perfect foundation for this remarkable, inspiring novel. To learn more about the author and her work, visit ShelleyPearsall.com and follow her at @ShelleyPearsall.

Read an Excerpt

One
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Seventh Most Important Thing"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Shelley Pearsall.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Children's Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 100 TITLES FOR READING AND SHARING
A BANK STREET BEST BOOK
A KIDS INDIE NEXT PICK
A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

“Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life. Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Pearsall has struck just the right tone by imbuing her well-rounded, interesting characters with authentic voices and pacing the action perfectly. Excellent.” —School Library Journal, starred review

"A moving exploration of how there is often so much more than meets the eye." —Booklist,starred review

"There are so many things to love about this book. Remarkable." —Christian Science Monitor

"...interweaves the power and purpose of art with an exploration of a boy’s grief and redemption." —The Bulletin 

"Pearsall shows us that hope isn’t somewhere “out there”—it’s quite literally in our own two hands." —Jen Bryant, author of A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
Gr 4–7—A middle school student learns the meaning of redemption in this excellent coming-of-age story. For the rest of the country, it was the year President Kennedy was assassinated. For Arthur Owens, it would always be the year his Dad died. Arthur is struggling to adapt. When he sees his Dad's hat being worn by the neighborhood "Junk Man," it is just too much. Arthur isn't a bad kid, but he picks up that brick and throws it just the same. The judge pronounces a "highly unconventional sentence." At the behest of the victim James Hampton, the "Junk Man," Arthur must spend every weekend of his community service helping to complete Hampton's artistic masterpiece. Inspired by real life artist James Hampton's life and work, "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly," the plot avoids overt religious tones and sticks with the exploration of friendship, love, and life's most important lessons. From the "Junk Man's" neighbor, Groovy Jim, to no-nonsense Probation Officer Billie to Arthur's new best pal Squeak, and even his family, Pearsall has struck just the right tone by imbuing her well-rounded, interesting characters with authentic voices and pacing the action perfectly. Give this to fans of Wendy Mass's Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (Little, Brown, 2006) and Gennifer Choldenko's Al Capone Does My Shirts (Penguin, 2004). Reluctant readers may be intimidated by the page count, but a booktalk or read-aloud with this title should change their minds. VERDICT A recommended purchase for all libraries.—Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

School Library Journal

Nick Podehl capably narrates this story of grief, loss, and redemption. On a cold day in early November 1963, in Washington, D.C., Arthur T. Owens throws a brick at an elderly gentleman known as “the junk man,” and so begins a series of revelations. Initially, Podehl's performance is marked by sharp tones and a strident delivery; however, as Arthur, his voice softens to reveal a vulnerable 13-year-old boy who is grieving the loss of his dad. Eventually, Podehl's entire performance softens, reflecting Arthur's growing self-awareness. James Hampton, “the junk man,” is a pivotal character in Arthur's life despite his limited dialogue, and Podehl does well in creating a memorable presence that allows Hampton to linger in listeners' minds long after he's stopped speaking. A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile

★ 2015-06-10
Traumatized by his father's recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father's death and his mother's new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life. Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews