The First Part Last

 Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Print. ISBN 9780689849220. Hardcover. $15.95 USD.

Available Formats: Paperback, hardcover, library binding hardcover, eBook, unabridged MP3, unabridged audio CD and  unabridged cassette. 

Annotation: Bobby's carefree sixteen year old life is turned upside-down when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant. He soon learns the harsh realities of becoming a young parent. 

Book Talk: Wrap Back to the Title Technique
Bobby is your typical teenage boy living in New York. He loves exploring the city, eating junk food and hanging out with his best friends K-boy and J.L. However, this carefree adolescence comes to an abrupt halt when Bobby learns his girlfriend Nia is pregnant on his sixteenth birthday.

Told from Bobby's point of view, we follow a teenager forced to make tough choices at a young age. We learn about Bobby and Nia's struggle to make a decision about the pregnancy, and deal with the the opinions of parents, friends and social workers. At one point Bobby wonders if everything would be easier if people could live their life backwards. What if young people were wise in the beginning “...and innocent in the end”? What if we could “...do The First Part Last”? (Johnson 4).

Awards and Honors:
Coretta Scott Kind Award
Michael L. Prince Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Abraham Lincoln Award Master List
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Alabama Author's Award
Booklist Editor's Choice
Gryphon Award
IRA Young Adults' Choices 

(Image courtesy of BCLS)

Additional Author Information:

To learn about Angela Johnson, visit her official page here!