The First Part Last
The First Part Last
By Angela Johnson
Reading Level
Lexile: 790
Length
Length: 144 pages
Representation
The First Part Last is about characters who are not frequently represented in young adult fiction- young, middle and upper-middle class black teenagers with supportive families. Angela Johnson writes complex and sophisticated characters, though sometimes they are more mature than seems believable for high school students.
Appropriate Content
The First Part Last is about teen parenting and there are some brief depictions of the main characters having sex. These depictions are not especially graphic and they are affectionate and consensual. The publisher (Simon and Schuster) recommends this book for students age 12+, Common Sense Media recommends it for students age 14+. You can read the Common Sense Media review here.
Engagement
The First Part Last is so short that it is unlikely that any student who starts it won't finish. It's a sweet, emotionally charged story that many students find gripping.
You can read the first chapter of the book on the Barnes and Noble website.
Substance
This book is a good catalyst for conversations about gender roles, parenting and family in general. It's not particularly deep or sophisticated, but our book club members really bonded over the emotional journey the book took us on.
Summary
Summary provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster
This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom's room and have her do the whole thing.
It's not going to happen....
Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.
With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost.
Book Club Materials
The First Part Last: Book Club Agenda
The First Part Last: Book Club Invitation. Original template can be found at Printable Invitation Kits
The First Part Last: Discussion Questions
The First Part Last: Student Generated Discussion Questions