The Seventh Most Important Thing

by Shelley Pearsall

5 of 5 stars 1 rating • 1 review • 1 shelved
Book cover for The Seventh Most Important Thing

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

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
  • ISBN10 0553497294
  • ISBN13 9780553497298
  • Publish Date 8 September 2015
  • Publish Status Out of Stock
  • Out of Print 18 September 2020
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
  • Format Hardcover (Library Binding)
  • Pages 288
  • Language English