The Seventh Most Important Thing

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Afro-American Folk Art and Crafts, edited by William R. Ferris

• An exploration of Afro-American art published by the University of Mississippi Press
• Includes the work of James Hampton among other Black artists

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

• A juvenile novel published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2015) that shares themes of social issues and grief
• The Thing About Jellyfish on Super Summary

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

• A juvenile novel published by Harper Collins (2017) about three troublemakers and their terminally ill teacher
• Shares themes of grief, terminal illness, and People Aren’t Always Who They Seem

Other Student Resources

James Hampton's "The Throne of the Third Heaven" (YouTube)

• Video from the Smithsonian’s American Art Moments series that features the real-life sculpture made by James Hampton

Grief for Beginners (NPR)

• Article from NPR show Life Kit that explores understanding grief as a new experience
• Recent article that can also relate to the Covid-19 pandemic