The First Part Last
         Young readers will become aware of the difficulties of being a teenage parent through this touching and gripping story.  Bobby and his girlfriend Nia made the mistake many parents fear their teenagers will make: they had sex and she got pregnant.  All too rapidly, their lives are beginning to change and a number of decisions must be made.  The story is told by Bobby, and readers quickly learn that he alone is in charge of the baby.  �I thought about laying her in the middle of my bed and going off to find my old Game Boy, but I didn�t. Things have to change.� To better express the ways in which Bobby�s life has
changed, the author alternates each chapter with the way life was before and after the baby.            Throughout the story, we see Bobby as a teenage boy who although longs to have his freedom back, is deeply and completely committed to caring for his baby girl, Feather.  There is no one telling him he has extra time for assignments, and his carefree teenage years are passing him by.  It is until the end that we learn what became of his girlfriend.  This story, although fiction, is quite realistic and young readers can relate to the plot because they may either have gone through it, known someone who did, or simply imagine what their lives would be like if it happened to them.  Because of this, and because it is set in present times, it falls into the category of contemporary realistic fiction.
          Controversies may surround this story due to the fact that it deals with teenage sexual activity.  Although not very much, it also contains profanity.  Nevertheless, parents may find that they would like to expose their children to the book because it presents the brutal reality of being a teenage parent.  The author certainly does not sugar-coat the consequences of pre-marital unprotected sex, nor does she portray teenage parenting as easy to manage.  She does all this and still manages not to sound preachy or condescending.  Bobby�s life has changed dramatically, and at all times he emphasizes the difficulties of parenting.  For example, when a teacher is trying to talk to him about his low grades, he finds he cannot concentrate on what the teacher is saying.  This is because he has not had a good night�s rest and is simply tired of talking.  The entire time he is thinking, �I�m sick of talking.  I�ve been talking to a baby all night long and into the morning...I think I might be going crazy from lack of sleep.� He goes on to say that he hopes the teacher will give him a break on his grades or assignments, �but that ain�t happening...I rub my eyes...and remember I have to stop by the store [after school] to pick up some more formula.�
          This story is a two-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award.  Upon reading the story, and developing a strong sympathy for its main character, it is easy to understand why it is worthy of such an honor.  

Johnson, Angela. 2003. The first part last.  New York: Simon & Schuster Books. ISBN 0
          689-84922-2.
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