The First Part Last

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

This is a sweet poetic love story. The story between a 16 year old male and his brand new baby, told from the teenage father's point of view. It was original, endearing and true to life. The author does an excellent job telling about the up and downs of teenage pregnancy. I was greatly moved at the end of the book, when I fully expected a predictable ending. It was definitely not predictable!

I recommended this book to one of the teenage mother's in my class. Her baby is about 5 months old. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is to be a teenage parent. It is hard to be a 40 year old parent, so being a teenage parent offers a unique challenge for the parents and the child. This book will give you a small dose of the reality of teenage parenthood.

The First Last Part won the Printz Award (my favorite YA book award) and the Coretta Scott King Award. The author has won the Scott King Award three times in her career.

The First Last Part begins with the last part first and ends with the first part last. It is a unique way to tell the story. Loved it! There are two more books that continue Bobby and his daughter, Feather's story. HEAVEN is the second book and LOOKING FOR RED the third. I would highly recommend this book to teenagers and their parents. Great talking points!