{"id":44777,"date":"2023-08-09T00:30:42","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T00:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jaimirahulkrutipatel.com\/blogs\/?p=44777"},"modified":"2023-08-09T18:42:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T18:42:52","slug":"the-seventh-most-important-thing-book-summary-by-kruti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jaimirahulkrutipatel.com\/blogs\/?p=44777","title":{"rendered":"“The Seventh Most Important Thing” Book Summary by Kruti!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Novel Title: The Seventh Most Important Thing<\/i><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Author: Shelley Pearsall<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Setting(s):<\/b> (<\/b>Name of location and a description)<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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  • Arthur\u2019s residence- This is where Arthur, his mom, and his sister live. His mother\u2019s boyfriend, Roger, sometimes joins them for dinner as well.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    • Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage- This is where Arthur, Mr. Hampton, and Arthur\u2019s friend, Squeak, work on Heaven. It\u2019s also where Mr. Hampton resides. It\u2019s in Washington D.C. behind a tattoo shop.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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      • Groovy Jim\u2019s tattoo shop- This is where Groovy Jim works as a tattoo artist. Arthur visits him sometimes while he\u2019s at work collecting the seven most important items on Mr. Hampton\u2019s list.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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        • Arthur\u2019s school- This is where Arthur goes to school. After throwing a brick at Mr. Hampton, his classmates and other students start drifting away from him. They even bully and talk about Arthur behind his back. It\u2019s also where Arthur meets his friend, Squeak, in the cafeteria.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Characters:<\/b> (Name and brief description)<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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          • Arthur Owens- Arthur is the main protagonist of the book. He hurled a brick at Mr. Hampton, The Junk Man and had to go to juvie for a bit. However, after Mr. Hampton requested to alter the consequences for Arthur\u2019s actions, Arthur started working for Mr. Hampton and collected the seven most important things every Saturday.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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            • Arthur\u2019s mother- This character is Arthur\u2019s mom, and she is caring and loving towards him. Her husband, Arthur\u2019s father, died in a motorcycle crash.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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              • Barbara- Barbara is Arthur\u2019s younger sister. She can be irritating and a bit curious sometimes.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                • Mr. Hampton- Mr. Hampton, The Junk Man, collects items for a secret, special project he\u2019s been working on. He almost got hit in the head by a brick, but was instead smacked by a brick on his arm. He assigns Arthur to be his assistant for the project.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                  • Groovy Jim- Groovy Jim is a tattoo artist who runs a tattoo shop. It doesn\u2019t really have many visitors or customers, so it\u2019s usually vacant. Groovy Jim has conversations with Arthur as well when Arthur comes near his area.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                    • Squeak- Squeak, or Reginald, is a boy that Arthur befriends when they start sitting together at lunch. At first, Squeak\u2019s presence galls Arthur. Soon, they start talking more and become friends. Arthur even tolerates Squeak helping him at Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Plot Summary<\/b>: (brief description of events)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

                      One day, Arthur, a thirteen year old boy, gets into trouble. He starts seeing red when his mother disposes of all of his deceased father\u2019s objects. Arthur, trying to blow off some steam, gazes at The Junk Man, wearing his father\u2019s hat. At that point, he blew a fuse and flung a brick at Mr. Hampton. Luckily, it missed The Junk Man\u2019s head by an inch and instead found its way toward his arm. Arthur gets sent to juvie for a bit.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      When Arthur is in the courthouse, the judge and him have a conversation about his actions. After their discussion concludes, the Junk Man and the judge talk privately. It turns out, later on, that instead of being sent back to juvie, Arthur has to work for Mr. Hampton for 120 hours every Saturday. Arthur finally gets sent back to his abode and sleeps in his room with his sister. The next morning, a note from the Junk Man appears at Arthur\u2019s doorstep, explaining why he borrowed Arthur\u2019s father\u2019s hat.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur has a meeting with Officer Billie, who is in charge of his probation hours and keeps track of his work. The first time Arthur arrives in Mr. Hampton\u2019s town, he can\u2019t even find his garage. Arthur asks a man named Groovy Jim for assistance in finding the Junk Man\u2019s garage. Arthur finds the garage and notices a grocery cart containing a note. This grocery cart is what Arthur has to use to find 7 items Mr. Hampton apparently requires: cardboard, foil, lightbulbs, coffee cans, mirrors, pieces of wood, and glass bottles.<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur begins his hunt for these materials. His grocery cart is a bit wonky, and one of the wheels keeps malfunctioning. He feels as if a few people are laughing at him, as well- the kid who\u2019s collecting trash in a grocery cart. However, since he\u2019s being lazy with the task provided and doesn\u2019t collect all of the items in the right way, Officer Billie calls Arthur. She explains how Mr. Hampton complained about the items being inaccurate to what was on the list.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Meanwhile, Arthur has to set up the Christmas tree, which is a job his dad would usually do. Now, though, he has to do it. However, it just doesn\u2019t sit right with him-his dad being gone and Arthur having to set the tree up instead. Arthur also starts his first week back at school. Obviously, most of the students there have their prejudices about him since he threw a brick at a man. The vice principal is also distrustful of him. Arthur was even given a locker far from the other students.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      The next Saturday Arthur works for his probation, he makes sure to prepare better by wearing warmer clothing than he did last time. He also makes sure to do a better job of collecting items for the Junk Man. As Officer Billie had said, Mr. Hampton definitely disliked some of the items Arthur brought last time. Arthur even glances at a quote Mr. Hampton left in the cart: \u201cWhere there is no vision, the people perish.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur asks Groovy Jim what the message means, but even he\u2019s unsure of its definition. Groovy Jim can only guess about what it means. While collecting items, Arthur\u2019s luck is on his side. He ends up encountering the objects that were supposed to be compiled. When Arthur comes back home, he assists his mom with setting up the artificial tree. They also decorate it, and even though Arthur was feeling grumpy before, he feels a bit better after laughing together. The lights cause Arthur to feel hopeful in the dark. Though he doesn\u2019t realize it, Arthur discovers the first important thing: lightbulbs on the tree.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur has a few weeks off from his probation because of Christmas, and Officer Billie drops by, giving caramel corn and instructions on when his next working day would be. Arthur receives fewer presents than Barbara for Christmas since she\u2019s younger and money is tight. He realizes that something that\u2019s useless to one person can be like discovering gold for another person.<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur strolls near Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage and the tattoo shop Groovy Jim owns, but he finds the area nearly deserted. Arthur\u2019s sister, Barbara, tells Arthur about her encounter with Mr. Hampton when he comes back from his walk. The Junk Man gave Barbara the silver temperature knob from the toaster Arthur collected.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      One day at school, Arthur sees a few kids making fun of another student in a trash can filled with basketballs. When Arthur approaches the area, he tries to get the kid out of there. A few moments later, he gets sent to the office for doing nothing. The bullies from before place the blame on Arthur. Only the victim with glasses called Squeak says Arthur helped. The second most important thing, foil, is what Squeak\u2019s lunch is wrapped in. Arthur, sitting alone, is joined by Squeak. They talk a bit, and when lunch ends, Squeak offers some of his foil to Arthur.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Every day, Squeak, or Reginald, and Arthur sit together for lunch. Once, Arthur asks about the list Mr. Hampton gave him and if there\u2019s a hidden message. Squeak, even though an extremely sagacious student, can\u2019t seem to find a message or any solution to the list. In February, on a Saturday, the list is altered and requests for Arthur to find a throne. To his surprise, Arthur manages to encounter a golden, elegant throne for Mr. Hampton in the trash.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      On February 8th, when the shopping cart or list aren\u2019t there, Arthur tries the door for Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage. He comes across the Junk Man\u2019s project, which is a sparkling, dazzling thing. Arthur also gazes at Mr. Hampton sprawled across the floor. He alerts Groovy Jim immediately, and they call for help. At the hospital, when Arthur sees Mr. Hampton, they discuss the project in Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage and what it is. Officer Billie picks Arthur up, talks with him, takes him out for eating some food, and drops him off at his house.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      On a Monday, Arthur is sitting with Squeak, and some kids are hurling hot dogs at them. Squeak writes a sign on paper and stands on a table, which causes him to be noticed by the vice principal. Squeak gets away with this action. Finally, Arthur decides to tell Squeak about Mr. Hampton\u2019s project. Squeak requests to see it with Arthur, and so they do so.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      On the next Saturday, Squeak and Arthur go to the Junk Man\u2019s garage and work on the project after Squeak is introduced. Mr. Hampton discusses the purpose of his project with the boys, and Arthur and Squeak keep working. Arthur even gets to smash mirrors, which are the third most important items. It\u2019s like the bad luck was trapped in the mirror, and he smashes the mirror to release the anxiety and perturbation.<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur\u2019s mother has a boyfriend, Roger the Carpenter, who\u2019s coming over for supper. He and his furniture pieces are the fourth most important things. Arthur starts to accept Roger a bit at the end of the dinner. He has less doubts about him now, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019ve vanished completely.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      At Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage, Arthur and he discuss Arthur\u2019s dad and angel wings. Arthur also has to design some angel crowns for Mr. Hampton. Another Saturday, Squeak and Arthur arrive and collect items on the list. They even bring items for Roger the Carpenter to fix, like a skateboard and a telescope.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      When Arthur and Mr. Hampton are relaxing one day, they drink some orange soda. When it\u2019s finished, Mr. Hampton suggests for them to place the empty bottles on a tree nearby. The guilt that Arthur has carried inside is apparently supposed to empty out of him, and it even feels like it\u2019s working. The glass bottles are the fifth most important thing. That day, Mr. Hampton assigns Arthur to be Director of Special Projects for the State of Eternity and continue the project if anything happens to him. To Arthur\u2019s surprise, Mr. Hampton passes away the next day. Barbara gives Arthur the silver knob from the toaster he collected for Mr. Hampton as a memento.<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Arthur explains the news to Groovy Jim about Mr. Hampton\u2019s passing, and he requests for Groovy Jim to call him if anything happens to Mr. Hampton\u2019s project. A few days later, the garage\u2019s owner moves the artwork out of the garage, and Arthur arrives immediately. Arthur and Groovy Jim manage to rent out the garage for the rest of May, and they start building Heaven again, placing everything in its right place.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Asking Officer Billie for help is a failure, so Arthur instead tries raising money for paying for the rent for a few more months to finish Mr. Hampton\u2019s masterpiece. When he inquires with his family about wanting to help and raising money, he and his mother get into a quarrel. However, they make up after. Arthur tries finding ways to pay for keeping the garage in June as well. When getting sent to the vice principal\u2019s office, he glimpses at a coffee can like the ones he collected for Mr. Hampton. Suddenly, he gets an idea to spread coffee cans around town, raise money from donations people make, and obtain the cans again with Squeak. These cans are item number 6 on the Seven Most Important Things list. Not much was raised from the cans. However, a business card from a reporter is found, and Squeak and Arthur decide to call the number.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      The reporter and a photographer come to the garage, where the interview is held about Heaven. However, the article doesn\u2019t do much of a favor for collecting more money. The donations add up to less than thirty dollars only. Five people from an art museum come by Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage to look at the project. They discuss the project and let Arthur know that they\u2019ll talk about their decision later.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Officer Billie notifies Arthur about how Mr. Hampton\u2019s piece will be put in storage in the museum since there are too many attractions already. When it empties out a bit more, Heaven will be placed in the museum for public display. Arthur lets Squeak know about this information. Arthur decides to visit Mr. Hampton\u2019s garage once more and collects the seven most important items. He finds a piece of cardboard in the garage that says, \u201cFear Not\u201d. This is the seventh most important thing on the list.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Seven years later, Arthur and Squeak are at the reception for the opening of the new attraction: Mr. Hampton\u2019s masterpiece, Heaven. The cardboard sign Arthur found is now on display for everyone to see and look at.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Point of View<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

                      3rd person<\/b><\/p>\n

                      Reader\u2019s Response<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n