Cet auteur explore des thèmes d'histoire et de racines familiales, en se concentrant sur le style littéraire et des explorations profondes du passé. Son écriture se caractérise par sa capacité à donner vie à des événements et des personnages historiques de manière engageante et accessible. L'expérience de diverses formes littéraires, des romans aux pièces de théâtre en passant par la non-fiction, témoigne de la polyvalence et de la profondeur de son expression artistique. L'accent mis par l'auteur sur la narration historique et personnelle offre aux lecteurs une perspective unique sur le lien durable entre le passé et le présent.
"In 1963, thirteen-year-old Arthur is sentenced to community service helping the neighborhood Junk Man after he throws a brick at the old man's head in a moment of rage, but the junk he collects might be more important than he suspects. Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton"-- Provided by publisher
A shift in perspective can change everything. This brilliant new novel from the author of The Seventh Most Important Thing celebrates kids who see the world a little differently. April is looking for an escape from the sixth-grade lunch hour, which has become a social-scene nightmare, so she signs up to be a "buddy bench monitor" for the fourth graders' recess. Joey Byrd is a boy on the fringes, who wanders the playground alone, dragging his foot through the dirt. But over time, April realizes that Joey isn't just making random circles. When you look at his designs from above, a story emerges... Joey's "bird's eye" drawings reveal what he observes and thinks about every day. Told in alternating viewpoints--April's in text and Joey's mostly in art--the story gives the "whole picture" of what happens as these two outsiders find their rightful places.
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.