The First Part Last

image from amespubliclibrary.com

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2003. Print.

Awards 

ALA Michael L. Printz Award

Coretta Scott King Award

Abraham Lincoln Book Award Master List (IL) 

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Annotation: Bobby takes an emotional journey in this book as he balances his teenage life with his love for his infant daughter.

Open-ended:
The First Part Lastby Angela Johnson

      Am I ready to be a parent? That’s the question sixteen-year-old Bobby isn’t ready to answer until it’s too late. When he sees baby Feather he knows, whether he’s ready or not, he can’t let her go home with someone else. In this quick read Angela Johnson eloquently captures the realities of teenage pregnancy. Using short chapters and powerfully descriptive language The First Part Last captures your attention and keeps it to the very last page.

      Bobby and Nia are in love and they don’t let the news of Nia’s pregnancy get in the way of their future together. Through brief chapters alternating between the present and past we learn how this young, supportive couple became a single father raising Feather alone. The book explores Bobby’s internal struggle to be both the responsible, loving, father he wants so badly to be while still being a sixteen-year-old kid. This book will make you wonder; am I ready to be a parent?

Arielle's Recommendation: Fans of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant or Lifetime’s The Pregnancy Project will enjoy this realistic story of a teenage parent. This book definitely deserves a home on school and library shelves. Recommend The First Part Last to readers 8th grade and older that enjoy gritty and heart warming stories.