The First Part Last

Johnson, Angela. 2003. The first part last. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781442403437

Plot Summary

Bobby, a 16-year-old African American teen in New York, is trying to keep up with his friends and schoolwork while raising his infant daughter, Feather. Bobby is solely responsible for this tiny creature that rules his life. As the story switches back and forth from the Now of sleepless nights and dirty diapers, and the Then of Bobby and his girlfriend Nia trying to decide what to do about an unplanned pregnancy, the tragic circumstances that led to Bobby being a single parent are slowly revealed.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The First Part Last is a powerful story about a young man trying his best to care for his daughter. The exhaustion and wonder of new parenthood are vividly described.  The Now and Then structure of the story builds tension as the reader wonders why Bobby is doing this by himself, what happened to the baby’s mom? The heartbreaking circumstances of Nia’s tragedy and Bobby’s devastating loss are slowly revealed with raw emotion. Bobby is not without flaws, he makes mistakes, and is the first to admit that he should have used a condom. Bobby’s love for his daughter shines throughout the story and lends his character the strength to do what needs to be done.

Bobby’s relationships with his family and friends are an important part of the story and are crucial to his ability to take responsibility for his daughter. Bobby’s mother takes a tough love approach that includes rules that Bobby must follow:

If she hollers, she is mine.

If she needs to be changed, she is always mine.

In the dictionary next to “sitter,” there is not a picture of Grandma.

It’s time to grow up.

Too late, you’re out of time. Be a grown-up.

Despite this hands off approach, it is obvious that she loves Bobby and Feather deeply and is trying to give him the strength to handle single fatherhood. Bobby’s father, on the other hand, provides unconditional love and support. Bobby’s older brother, Paul, offers understanding of both the difficulties and the joys of being a father.

Bobby’s relationship with Nia is loving, sensual, and seems likely to last through the trials of making the decision to give their daughter up for adoption, until the unthinkable happens. There is a disconnect between Bobby and Nia’s parents, however. Despite their verbal assurance of support when Bobby decides to keep Feather, they apparently cannot bring themselves to be a part of Feather’s life.

Review Excerpts

Booklist: “…from the first page, readers feel the physical reality of Bobby’s new world: what it’s like to hold Feather on his stomach,smell her skin, touch her clenched fists, feel her shiver, and kiss the top of her curly head. Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again. The great cover photo shows the strong African American teen holding his tiny baby in his arms.”

Kirkus Reviews: “By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy. The somewhat pat ending doesn't diminish the impact of this short, involving story. It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy.”

2004 Winner of both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Michael L. Printz Award.

Connections

The First Part Last is part of the Heaven trilogy:

Johnson, Angela. 1998. Heaven. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 9780689822292

Johnson, Angela. 2010. Sweet, Hereafter. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 9780689873850

The Guardian

Lester, Julius. 2008. The guardian. New York: Amistad. ISBN 9780061558900

Plot Summary

It is the summer of 1946 in a small, deeply segregated, southern town. Bert, the local storekeeper, is training his 14-year-old son, Ansel, to take over the family store, even though he worries that Ansel is too much like his mother and does not understand what it means to be white. Ansel and his best friend Willie, a black boy hired to help out at the store, take every chance they can find to go fishing together. Ansel is not sure he wants to run the store, but he cannot imagine a different future.

When Willie’s father is accused of a horrible crime, a crime that Bert and Ansel know he is innocent of, the townspeople gather for a lynching. Ansel tries to get Bert to tell the townspeople that the crime was committed by the white landowner’s son, but Bert refuses and forces Ansel to get the rope. In the aftermath of the lynching, Ansel is given a chance to escape the soul-killing racism of the small town. However, Ansel can never escape his deep shame, and he can never repair the friendship he destroyed when he kept silent and watched Willie’s father hang.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Lester uses the powerful imagery of a tree silently bearing a shame so deep that it is a relief when it is struck down by lightening to foreshadow the deep shame that will follow Ansel throughout his life. The theme of the novel is best expressed through something Willie’s father once told him:

“Don’t never let yourself be angry with white folks. Us niggers, we know things are in a bad way. But the white folks? They don’t know that by keeping us down in a ditch, they got to be right here in the ditch with us. And because they don’t know that, they worse off than we are.”

The novel explores the effects of deeply ingrained racism, a racism that caused people to treat the lynching of a black man like a day at the county fair.

Although the story is ostensibly about Ansel, and the prologue and epilogue are written from Ansel’s first-person point of view, the use of an omniscient third-person narrative throughout the rest of the story allows for insights into the motivations of a variety of characters. The most telling insights come from Ansel’s and Willie’s differing perspectives. Ansel feels discomfort at the fact that he is supposed to address Willie’s father as “Big Willie”, when Willie has to address Ansel as “Master Ansel” even in private. Another telling insight is in the different reactions of the boys when Esther Davis, the landowner’s sister who hopes to rescue both boys from the cancerous racism of the town, asks them what they would like to be when they grow up. Ansel is confused by the question and cannot think of an answer, he has never considered the possibility of doing anything other than following in his father’s footsteps. Willie, on the other hand, quickly answers “A doctor”, not because he has ever dreamed of a life that would allow for that possibility, but because he knows his survival depends upon being able to understand and give white people the answers that they want.

An author’s note at the end of the book explains Lester’s reason for writing about a lynching from a white boy’s point of view. Lester also provides a brief history of lynching in America. An appendix provides chilling statistics on the number of lynchings in America, by state and by race, from 1882-1968.

Review Excerpts

Publishers Weekly: “Focusing on the repercussions of white guilt, the author's understated, haunting prose is as compelling as it is dark; if the characterizations tend toward the extreme, the story nonetheless leaves a deep impression.”

School Library Journal: “Poignant and powerful phrasing overshadows spare character development and helps satisfy readers' desire to explore the deeper motivations for some behaviors. The understated violence, coupled with reflections on lynching, heightens the horror..”

Connections

Check out the 2006 Coretta Scott King Honor and 2006 Michael L. Printz Honor book about the lynching of Emmett Till:

 Nelson, Marilyn. 2005. A wreath for Emmett Till. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618397525

The Hired Hand

San Souci, Robert D. 1997. The hired hand. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803712960

Plot Summary

When Old Sam, the owner of a sawmill, and his shiftless son, Young Sam, hire a man to work for them they get more than they bargained for. The New Hand works hard and without complaint, despite Young Sam’s high and mighty airs. One day an old farmer comes to the mill complaining of a misery in his back. The New Hand offers to heal the old farmer, but tells Old Sam and Young Sam that they cannot be there to witness it. The New Hand uses his magic to turn the old farmer into wood, saw him into pieces, wash away his misery, and return him to life, health, and youth. Unbeknownst to the New Hand, Young Sam sneaks back to witness the magic. Later, when Old Sam is out of town, Young Sam’s biggity ways finally drive the New Hand away. When the farmer arrives at the mill seeking help for his old wife, Young Sam decides to try the magic himself, with disastrous results.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The Hired Hand is based on an African American version of an old folktale. This version of the  tale was first written down in 1871, though it has deeper roots in oral storytelling. In San Souci’s retelling, he keeps the essence of the Black dialect of the original story, which provides cultural authenticity. The magic ritual is told in poetic language, “Sawdust! Do what you must! Turn this skin an’ bone to wood, so my saw cut but don’ draw blood.”

Pinkney’s watercolor illustrations are colorful and capture the magic of the tale. In an illustrator’s note at the back of the book, Pinkney explains how he chose the setting for the story. Pinkney wanted to be historically accurate and thought he would have to set it after the Emancipation Proclamation, until his research revealed the existence of towns established by antislavery Quakers who welcomed free black craftsmen who could own their own sawmills. Pinkney’s attention to historical accuracy is reflected in his illustrations of characters in period clothing.

Review Excerpts

Publishers Weekly: “Seasoned collaborators San Souci and Pinkney weave themes of magic, rebirth and retribution into another splendid retelling of an African American folk tale.”

Connections

Other collaborations between Robert D. San Souci and Jerry Pinkney include:

San Souci, Robert D. 1988. Talking Eggs. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

San Souci, Robert D. 1995. The Faithful Friend. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster.

San Souci, Robert D. 1998. Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 9780689806681

The Thief Lord

Funke, Cornelia. 2005. The thief lord. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780439771320

Plot Summary

Orphaned Prosper and his little brother, Bo, have run away to Venice to escape being separated by their cold-hearted Aunt Esther who only wants to adopt angel-faced Bo. Prosper and Bo have found safety in Venice among a gang of street urchins led by teenage Scipio who is known as The Thief Lord. Their safe haven is threatened when Aunt Esther hires a private detective, Victor Getz, to track them down. By the time Victor tracks down the brothers, he has realized that they are much happier with the family they have found, but they are still children, and winter is coming. When The Thief Lord receives a commission to steal a missing piece of a magical carousel that is rumored to turn adults into children, and children into adults, it seems as if they have found the perfect solution.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The Thief Lord is an exciting adventure story with a magical twist. Set in Venice, the unique city plays a role in the story by providing inspiration for Prosper and Bo’s dreams of finding a home where they can be together. The introduction of the magical carousel halfway through the book is unexpected, but it provides the perfect opportunity for Prosper and Bo to escape their aunt and create their own family with their friends and the adults who care about them.

Originally written in German, any particularly German characteristics of the characters that may have existed have been lost in translation. Aunt Esther and Victor Getz communicate in English and the brothers are only interested in Venice, not wherever they came from. Funke takes a tourist approach to Venice, describing the unique features of the city. The approach works for Prosper and Bo because they are tourists who find a home in the city. For most of the other characters, Venice is just home, which could be anywhere. Victor Getz, on the other hand, seems to be as entranced by the city as the brothers, which makes me wonder if his character is a native Venetian or another tourist who found a home in Venice.

Regardless of any flaws of authenticity in the points of view of the characters, Funke provides vivid details of this one-of-a-kind city. Italian words and place names are used throughout the story. A detailed map provides even more information about places in the city. This edition includes a glossary of terms and place names, the story of how this book was brought to the attention of the British publishers who translated it into English, and an interview with the author where she explains her reasons for choosing Venice as the setting for her magical story.

Review Excerpts

Booklist: “Funke beguiles young readers as she paints the city of Venice in exquisite strokes.”

Kirkus Reviews: “The magical city of Venice, with its moonlit waters, maze of canals, and magnificent palaces, is an excellent setting for the plot twists and turns in this fantasy/mystery/adventure, all rolled into one spellbinding story.”

Winner of the 2003 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Outstanding Translated Book.

Connections

The movie based on the book does a good job of staying true to the story and provides a visual context for the places described in the book:

The Thief Lord. Directed by Richard Claus. 2006. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox, 2006. DVD.

Fever Crumb

Reeve, Philip. 2010. Fever Crumb. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545207195

Plot Summary

Fever Crumb is the only girl ever to have been accepted into the Order of Engineers who value rationality above all else. Fever is an orphan raised by an engineer, Dr. Crumb, and has never questioned their rejection of all sentimentality. When Fever is sent to assist Kit Solent, an archeologist, with his newest dig, she encounters irrationality that confuses her and old prejudices that soon threaten to kill her. Soon she is running for her life and overwhelmed by dormant memories that challenge all that she thinks she knows about the world, and herself.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Set about 1000 years in the future, Reeves’ steampunk London resembles Victorian era London where all of the technology we know today has been lost due to some cataclysmic event referred to as the “Downsizing”. The technology that has replaced the old-world technology is strange, beautiful, and sometimes deadly.  The setting and characters provide intriguing glimpses into the London that was, and the London that could be.

Modern day places, deities, and popular culture are referenced throughout the book, corrupted by time and loss of context due to the downsizing. Piccadilly Circus is “Pickled Eel Circus”, Oxford Circus is “Ox-Fart Circus”, and “Hari Potter” is the name of an old-world prophet that is chanted in the streets. The letters “at” have been replaced by the “@” symbol in names, and “blog” is a common swear word. While many of these references to London places and culture may fly over the heads of an American audience (I’m sure there were many that I didn’t recognize), the ones that hit home are sure to elicit chuckles.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Reviews: “Filled with humor ("blog," as in who gives a, is a swearword) and tackling issues of love, family and power, the author balances the occasional cheap laugh (the Hari Potter cult) or violent death with a finely wrought coming-of-age story starring an unlikely and occasionally unlikable heroine who ... becomes a figure of pathos and dignity.”

Booklist: “London is a nearly medieval backwater, where relics of ancient technology hint at a time thousands of years ago when people still understood how to make circuit boards and microchips.”

Connections

The frequent references to places and names corrupted by time are sure to generate curiosity about their real world equivalents. An interesting activity would be to have readers list the places they recognize from other British books that they have read, see if they can identify other place names that they suspect are corruptions of real place names, and research the significance of these places in British history.

Fever Crumb is a prequel to Philip Reeve’s Hungry City Chronicles: Mortal Engines (HarperTeen, 2003), Predator's Gold (HarperTeen, 2004), Infernal Devices (HarperTeen, 2006), and A Darkling Plain (Scholastic, 2006). Fever Crumb’s adventures continue in A Web of Air (Scholastic, 2010).

Possum Magic

Fox, Mem. 1983. Possum magic. Ill. by Julie Vivas. San Diego: Gulliver Books. ISBN 0152005722

Plot Summary

Grandma Poss used bush magic to turn Hush invisible and keep her safe from snakes. Hush wants to be visible again, but Grandma Poss forgot which special food, people food, Hush will need to eat to break the spell. The two possums leave the bush to visit the cities, traveling all around Australia, in search of the special food that will turn Hush visible. Finally, after sampling the local cuisines of several different cities, the possums find the foods that break the spell.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)
This is a simple, sweet, story of a grandma possum determined to help her granddaughter. First she makes her invisible to keep her safe, then she travels all around Australia in search of the magic that will make her granddaughter visible again. Vivas’ illustrations of the Australian animals in the bush, and Grandma Poss and Hush’s adventures in the cities are colorful and whimsical. The magical foods that the possums try are distinctly Australian. A glossary at the end of the book provides a description of these foods. 

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Although the characters, locales, and vocabulary are thoroughly Australian, Possum Magic has universal appeal.”

Connections

Other books by Mem Fox, many with Australian or multicultural themes:

Fox, Mem. 1989. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Ill. by Julie Vivas. Kane Miller Book Pub. ISBN 091629126X

Fox, Mem. 1994. Koala Lou. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. Sandpiper. ISBN 9780152000769

Fox, Mem. 2003. Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!. Ill. by Marla Frazee. Sandpiper. ISBN 0152045988

Fox, Mem. 2006. Whoever You Are. Ill. by Leslie Staub. Sandpiper. ISBN 9780152060305

Fox, Mem. 2008. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN 015206057X