The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

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Bibliographic Information:

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

ISBN: 978-1442403437

2005 Simon and Schuster New York, NY

Plot Summary:

This book alternates between Bobby’s life now and Bobby’s life then.

Now he is a teen father with a baby who keeps him awake at night and a mother who tells him it is his responsibility to deal with her. Bobby struggles to stay awake, keep his schedule of trains and babysitters and parental agreements

.

Then, Bobby was in love and chose to have sex. Even though they were scared about having a baby, they found a good adoptive family for the baby and knew that this pregnancy was not going to destroy their dreams.

Now Bobby runs late and chooses to leave the baby with his neighbor instead of taking the train to the babysitter and back to school. Since this left Bobby with extra time, he decides to stop and put up some street art before going to school. At the end of the day, the police stop him. He’s been painting all day, neglected to go to school or pick up his daughter and now he is in legal trouble.

Then, Nia was having problems with the pregnancy, but they did not know they could end so terribly.

Now, Bobby decided to keep Feather, while Nia is in a hospital facility outside the city. Bobby has moved in with his father and everything has changed.

Critical Evaluation: 

Angela Johnson takes characters that could be portrayed in negative stereotypes and makes them three dimensional in this novel. Bobby is an African American teenage boy who spray paints graffiti, hangs out with his buddies, and has sex with his girlfriend. He is also an aspiring artist, a devoted son, and a good student.

When Bobby’s character is faced with the crisis of teen parenthood and his first choice of putting the baby up for adoption seems unbearable, he struggles and tries. Bobby lets the audience know in his first person narrative that he’s scared. He feels like this small, perfect human is completely relying on him and he still wants to rely on his own mother.

The first person narrative lets the audience know that Bobby is tired, he is trying, but he is exhausted. Suddenly he is responsible for more than doing his school work and hanging out. Bobby’s friends show their support and they stick around. They go with Bobby when he travels to visit Nia, too.

The heavy subject matter is made light by the short chapters. The alternating between then and now becomes a rhythmic telling of a hard story, a sad story that ends with one little hopeful baby. Bobby is going to be responsible now because he owes it to his perfect little Feather.

Reader’s Annotation:

Bobby became a father before he was ready, but for Feather he chose to grow up.

Author Information:

Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Johnson/e/B000APRUUI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Genre(s):

Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalk Ideas: Book themes of teen parenting and tough choices.

Reading level: grade 7+

Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: Sexuality and vandalism Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This book is a Coretta Scott King Award winner and was a part of the LIBR 265 curriculum.