Fiction, Fantasy and YA: "The First Part Last"

Bibliography

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005.

Plot

Bobby is a typical sixteen-year-old living in New York City.  He is in high school and likes to hang out with his friends and his girlfriend, Nia.  All of this abruptly comes to a halt when Nia becomes pregnant.  Once Bobby and Nia make the decision on what to do about this unplanned pregnancy with the support of their parents, life takes over and changes everything.

Critical Analysis

Johnson writes this story in a style that the reader gets the story from two different time perspectives, the “then” and “now”.  Bobby is the narrator for all of the chapters except for the one entitled “Nia” near the end.  The two parts, the “then” and “now” do not match up until they meet in the middle at the end of the story.  Then it is revealed to the reader how the “now” came from the “then”.  It is a story about more than a young man raising a baby.  It is about a baby and the choices that are made that raise a boy into a man and allows him to see the true value of family.  This realistic fiction novel allows young readers to see the hardships that come with teen pregnancy.

Awards Won and Review Excerpts

Coretta Scott King Award, 2004
Michael L. Printz Award, 2004

Starred Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant.”

Starred Review in BOOKLIST: “Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again.”

Connections

Margaret Bechard’s Hanging On To Max has a similar storyline with a different ending.  The students could compare the two experiences.

The cover art for The First Part Last reveals the love this sixteen-year-old has for his baby girl.  It helps to attract young readers to this compelling story.  Students could create their own cover art for other books using this one as an example.

Fiction, Fantasy and YA: "When You Reach Me"

Bibliography

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009.

Plot

Miranda is a sixth grader who lives with her Mom who is practicing to compete on $25,000 Pyramid in New York City.  First her best friend Sal dumps her as a friend after a strange boy punches him.  Then Miranda begins to get mysterious notes from a stranger with information about the future and an upcoming death.  She continues to get notes and figure out the cryptic messages while going to school, helping her Mom and dealing with friendships, new and old.

Critical Analysis

Rebecca Stead writes this engaging story with a mysterious twist to further tantalize the reader.  Miranda not only solves who the mysterious note writer is, but also finds out a lot about who she is and what she is capable of.  The chapters titles are stylized as if they are answers on $25,000 Pyramid, which offer a clue to the upcoming events.  It is a realistic story with a touch of fantasy, as this mystery man brings in the element of time travel and foretelling the future.  While Miranda is going through this adventure, she continues to support her Mom while she is practicing for the game show.  Friendships, family and the need for communication is another theme that will capture the interest of young people.  Even the titles of the chapters are written as if they are answers on $25,000 Pyramid.  

Review Excerpts

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “An exciting, engaging mix of science fiction, mystery and adventure.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Credible and absorbing.  Young readers will find this a journey worth taking.”

Connections

·      Students can research information on the game show $25,000 Pyramid and see if they are any good at guessing the clues.

·      Students can read other mysteries, including First Light also by Rebecca Stead and compare them to this story.

Fiction, Fantasy and YA: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"

Bibliography

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books, 2007.

Plot

Greg Heffley is starting his first year in middles school and he records his daily mishaps and adventures in his journal.  He and his friend Rowley get into some tricky situations, all masterminded by Greg.  Greg’s plans usually have a way of backfiring and getting him in a lot of hot water.  Whether it is trick or treating, performing in the school play or sneaking his brother’s CD with explicit lyrics, things never turn out like he intended them to.  And it all takes place in the course of one school year.

Critical Analysis

Kinney writes the book as a journal, with entries labeled by the day of the week and each chapter is a month.   The style of the book is consistent with a middle school kid.  This includes the illustrations and the writing style.  The pages of the book are even lined to make it look like notebook paper.  Within the storyline there are lessons to be learned by Greg’s mistakes that are not obvious to Greg himself, but the reader will understand.  The humor that is intertwined in Greg’s adventures is what drives the story and will keep the reader wanting more.  Middle school students will be able to relate to this book regarding the elements of bullying, dealing with teachers, and relationships between parents and between friends.

Review Excerpts

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “The first of three installments, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy.”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY:  “His print debut should keep readers in stitches, eagerly anticipating Greg's further adventures.”

Connections

Students can write their own journal or diary with events from their own lives.  They can add illustrations just as Kinney did. 

Students can continue reading the next three books in this series by Jeff Kinney.

Students can read biographies that are written from actual diaries, like that of Anne Frank and compare the actual diary with the fictional diary.