#5 Multicultural: The First Part Last



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

Annotation:

Bobby's girlfriend Nia tells him she is pregnant on his 16th birthday. During the birth of their daughter, Nia suffers from eclampsia and is left unable to care for herself or their baby.  Bobby makes the brave decision to raise his daughter alone, but struggles with his identity as a father and a teenage boy.

Justification for Nomination:

Angela Johnson does a superb job in this piece by telling the story of teenage pregnancy through the voice of a teen father. The book is incredibly fluid, and almost poetic, as the chapters alternate between "Then" and "Now," explaining the experiences for Bobby before and after the birth of his daughter.

Johnson is able to create a realistic and authentic depiction of the contrasting world for a young man working through adolescence and the new world of single-parenting. I am recommending this book for nomination because of its ability to bring teenage pregnancy into focus from a male perspective that highlights the struggle with identity, morality, and responsibility while showing the beauty of teenage love along with the love between a father and daughter.

This book was listed under the multicultural selections, but aside from the cover and a couple of references to African American décor, I did not feel that this book gave many distinguishing characteristics of cultural identity or diversity. It was written more as a book about identity through adolescence and adulthood rather than about culturally specific people and experiences. Perhaps that was the point that author Angela Johnson was making when she left little more than a few clues to show the boy was in fact an African American teenager because the point was to show how anyone, of any race, culture, or background, could in fact experience teenage pregnancy and the impact it has on your identity.

Genre Catalog: Multicultural, Realistic/Edgy/Problem Novel, Coming of Age

#4 General Non-Fiction: Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. New York: Scholastic, Inc, 2005. Print.

Annotation:

Take a look inside the devastating impact Hitler had on Germany’s youth. Roughly 7 million boys and girls participated in Hitler’s organized youth club where they unwittingly played a significant role in Hitler’s plight for domination and the massacre of millions of innocent lives.

Justification for Non-Nomination:

Almost everyone has heard of Hitler and the Holocaust, but what they may not know is the role that Germany’s youth played in that devastating event in history. Bartoletti gives an inside look at Hitler’s youth organization that diligently worked to spread the political ideals of Hitler’s propaganda and also worked to enforce the strict rules and guidelines imposed on Germany by Hitler himself.

This is an incredible look into one of the worst events in history.  The difference in this recounting of the Holocaust, however, is that this book focuses on the contribution of Germany’s youth in Hitler’s plan rather than on Hitler and his own actions during the Holocaust.   

Bartoletti makes this a must read for YAs and adults. The first person interviews of grown Hitler youth and the ominous photographs she includes, take the reader back to a time that gives the reader a better understanding of what life was like for the children and young adults that were living in Germany during Hitler’s rule.

This book is informational and includes many of the known facts about the Holocaust, however, it can be very disturbing to read how young adults worked together to harm others and actively targeted other human beings, even their friends and their parents, because they were directed to do so by a supposed leader. The book, at times is very descriptive about the murders of young children that rebelled against Hitler’s rule and also of the Jewish population that was so viciously targeted.

Though I find this book to be incredibly worthwhile and believe it should be read by YAs, I am hesitant to think it would spark much interest for adolescent reading. I think that most YAs, unless they had a specific interest in the world history and the Holocaust, would likely look past this book on the shelf unless it was an assigned book for them. 

Genre: General Non-Fiction, Histiorical Fact

#3 Coming of Age: Someone Like You

Annotation:

Away at camp, Haley is surprised by a call from her best friend, Scarlett, desperately asking her to return home early. Shocked by the wavering in the voice of her usually strong and supportive friend, Haley realizes her best friend needs her now more than ever, and she will do whatever it takes to be there for her.

Justification for non-nomination:

Haley finds out that Scarlet’s boyfriend has just been killed in a motorcycle accident. To make an ugly situation even worse, Scarlett finds out she is pregnant with his child. As Haley embarks on her quest for identity in her own life, she also becomes the support for her friend through this teenage pregnancy, which inevitably forces both girls to face adulthood in a very early and dramatic way.

Though Dessen has an incredible ability to intertwine various issues together and make them fit cohesively throughout the story, it seemed incredibly predictable and lacking in some areas. This may have been the adult voice in my head so I ventured to look at it through my teen lens. I can agree, however, that Dessen touches on many of the adolescent hallmarks that accompany that fine line between childhood and adulthood including friendships, parents, boys, alcohol and drug use, sex, and teen pregnancy.

Dessen writes the story from Haley’s point of view and through this telling, she is able to completely own the teenage perspective including leaving the parents and adults mostly in the background while the teens try to navigate and understand their own individual worlds. This perspective allows the reader to better understand the situations and decisions being made by Haley, but it also limits the reader in having a fully dimensional understanding of the characters in any other way than through the eyes of a teenage girl.  Each character within the story, all the way down to their actions, mimic the way a teen would feel and perceive an adult, a friend, a parent, a boy and in some cases, even other girls they feel threatened by. This may or not have been the point Dessen was trying to drive home in the book, but it left little to the imagination and may have contributed to the lack of depth in the storyline.

This book is a very easy read and would appeal to YA girls for sure. The cover of the book itself does not seem to fit the story at all.  After finishing the book, I questioned why and how that cover was relevant to the story.  Parents may cringe a little at the topics discussed and the life lessons being learned, but as an adult reading this book, it helps bring you back to the mindset of a teenager through the thoughts and the situations that Haley experiences.

Genre Catalog: Coming of Age, Realistic/Edgy/Problem Novel

#2 Graphic Novel- The Tale of One Bad Rat

Talbot, Bryan. The Tale of One Bad Rat. Milwaukie, Dark Horse Books, 1994. Print.

Annotation: After suffering severe abuse at the hands of her father, Helen flees from her home with her pet rat. Not exactly sure of where to turn, she begins to follow in the path of her favorite author Beatrix Potter in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the abuse she has had to endure.

Justification for Non-nomination:

Talbot uses this graphic novel as a device to show the harsh realities of child abuse and incest. Helen, abused by her father finds comfort in the life and books of Beatrix Potter. Her only companion is a rat she rescued from a laboratory. After fleeing from her father, Helen is homeless, roaming the streets desperate for food and shelter. She encounters many evils along the way including people believing she is a sinner and the cause of her despair, which actually can be tied into what a person suffering abuse may feel.  She also encounters people looking to use her for prostitution or sexual favors of their own. Tragically, no one has Helen’s best interest at heart and she receives absolutely no unconditional love through much of the story.

Though it is a dark and dismal story, there is a prevailing message in this comic-art style graphic novel in that Helen can become the voice of those being abused. Talbot moves her character through various psychological stages that accompany the pain and eventual healing associated with sexual abuse: guilt, despair, distrust, worthlessness, anger, and eventually confrontation of her abuser. These stages allow Helen to progress on a path towards healing allowing for her journey to be a vehicle for other abused children to possibly find hope and healing when dealing with sexual abuse.

Though this is a courageous piece of literature in that it brings sexual abuse to the forefront and offers to be a healing, “you are not alone,” type of device for those suffering from abuse, I couldn’t help but think of the target audience. This piece would show the horrors of sexual abuse and incest but I question its influence and impact on those that have not suffered in this way. While it is necessary to bring awareness to this abuse, this book most likely would be influential to those being traumatized, affected, or even experiencing abuse.


Genre Catalog: Graphic Novel, Realistic Novels/Problem Novels/Edgy Fiction