the first part last- Angela Johnson

Johnson, A. (2003). the first part last. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 131pp.

Fiction, Coretta Scott King, 2004. Prinz, 2004

Bobby, a sixteen year old student at a New York High School, learns to take care of and care for his newborn daughter Feather. The narrative alternates between Bobby's exhausting "now" of near endless holding, feeding and diaper changes, minimally relieved by his tough, standbackish mom, and snippets of the "then" that explain how his new family came to be. Nia, Feather's mother seems entirely absent in the "now"s until very late in the narrative. We wonder why this young man is raising his daughter by himself. In the "then"s, the young lovers stand together in a disapproving world, and eventually agree to put the child up for adoption once it is born. Meanwhile, "now" Bobby is discovering how incredibly difficult it is to be a man, parent, student, son and child all at once. Eventually, we come to know the "then" of Feather's birth (complicated by eclampsia, and maternal brain death and "irreversible vegetative coma") and and the "now" of her mother Nia, in long term care in a country nursing home. Against other's advice, Bobby decides to "be a man" and cancel the planned adoption in favor of raising Feather himself. Finally, he leaves New York altogether to live in Heaven, Ohio, a place his older brother there has assured him is good for raising children.

The characters in this book often reverse our expectations. Young foolabout Bobby becomes sweet, vulnerable, and highly responsible (for the most part) as a result of his fatherhood. His mother, Mary is tougher and warns him that she will not pick up the slack for him. Fred, Bobby's dad, is more sentimental and nurturing, "always cooking and crying" as Mary parodies him. Nia seems more prepared to give up the baby and get on with her college plan. Her parents are upright, but rigid as statues in reaction. His towering high school teacher wakes him in class and questions him only about whether or not his or her family are helping out. The disjointed method of storytelling brings times and characters in and out of focus until we gradually understand how and with whom things went down. This brings gradual focus to the themes as well. Family is complex, imperfect, and concerned, most importantly, with someone caring for the young and needy. Also, men can and need to be nurterers in today's families. Young people should think seriously about reproductive responsibility, and yet, even a 16 year old boy can make the leap to fatherly manhood if his heart is in the right place.

This book deals with adolescent, in utero and infant development at length. We witness the physical, emotional, cognitive,and social growth of Nia, Bobby and their relationship throughout. Their parents undergo emotional and social change as well, though mostly they are stressed out.

Multicultural and ethnic issues interplay with social class in the differences between Nia's more affluent and minimalist modernist backlit parents, and Bobby's more funky folks. Though his mother now lives closer to Nia's neighborhood, his dad still stays in Brooklyn where Bobby grew up, with a house cluttered in color, music and the constant smell of something cooking. Age is perhaps the central issue of contention, since everyone thinks these adolescents are too young to have a child. Gender is also critical, for Bobby, his dad and brother take on the main nurturing roles.

I would use this book for a read-aloud, individual choice, small group, or whole group reading.

The book is dedicated to "the 1999-2000 sixth-grade class at the Manhattan School for Children". At first I may have thought this age group a little young for the story until I considered the dedication and the probable frequency of tween childbirth today. The language is not offensive (though he does mention feeling "stoned"), the explicit erotic content is minimal and the only questionable activities are grafitti-tagging an unattached wall (and we witness how this gets you busted) and unprotected teenage sex (and this gets you busted another way). Younger readers might require a note to and from parents about the content of the book. Parents would probably be thrilled with Johnson's messages if they read along.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the depressing tragic fate of the heroine. As a father I could relate to many of Bobby's realizations of love for his new daughter. I think young people from all settings and walks of life could benefit from this story. I'll recommend it to my own kids when they are a little older and hope it helps them to realize both the importance of holding off on offspring, and loving and respecting the people who are already around us.