Sunday, September 12, 2010

Module 1: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

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

Review
“And this is how I turned sixteen…”
Bobby's life has just been turned upside-down with one phrase by his girlfriend..."I am pregnant.". At sixteen, he will become a dad and he will have to do everything on his own. Hanging out with friends, going wherever he wants, and even school are made so much harder when he takes Feather home from the hospital.

Written in alternating chapters of “Now” and “Then”, The First Part Last takes us through teenage pregnancy from the father's point of view. Written by Angela Johnson, this Michael L. Printz award winner takes us through a boy having to become a man overnight. What is most beautifully captured is the love that Bobby shows for Feather. From day one, he is willing to do anything for her, and that sacrifice jumps off the page at the reader. School Library Journal says, “Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking.” This book will touch the heart of readers.

Activities
With this book being so short, it would be a great read aloud. Then split the students up. One side will get the mother perspective and the other side will get father’s perspective. The debate will be who has it harder, the mother or the father. I think by doing this with the support of The First Part Last, the students will be able to see what a complex situation teen pregnancy is.

(Book cover was found at Titlewave.com.)

Doyle, Miranda. "The First Part Last." School Library Journal (2003). Title Wave. Follett Library Resources, Inc., 2003. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. .

No comments:

Post a Comment