The Seventh Most Important Thing

By Shelley Pearsall

Book Overview

One Kid. One Crime. One Chance to Make Things Right. It was a bitterly cold day when 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 for the foreseeable future. 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 American folk artist James Hampton, award-winning author Shelley Pearsall has crafted an affecting and redemptive novel about discovering what shines within us all, even when life seems full of darkness.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553497286
• ISBN13: 9780553497281
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Transformational for my preteen

This was a book my daughter chose to read. She was captivated by the odd artist. The art is real and you can see it, which made this book even more impactful. We saw the installation in Washington DC. Lessons learned: There are consequences for your actions. Not all consequences are bad. Seeing things from a new perspective builds empathy.