African American Literature

Multicultural Literature

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Johnson, A. 2003. The First

Part Last. New York: Simon &

The First Part Last is a young adult novel that is a fast and enjoyable read. This book is narrated in first person by the protagonist, Bobby. The cover picture of this novel shows a young African-American male holding an infant. It conveys a sense of love, dedication, confusion, and responsibility all at the same time. Bobby is a sixteen year old African-American male that is hanging out with his friends when his girlfriend, Nia, tells him that she is pregnant. Nia’s parents persuade the young lovers to put the baby up for adoption when it is born. Bobby’s world changes from hanging out with his friends, being a teenager, to making prenatal appointments with Nia and making life decisions. The author, Angela Johnson, creates Bobby into this thoughtful, nurturing, sleep deprived, and confused father that is falling in love with his infant, Feather. Johnson divided the book into four parts and has chapters that are titled, "now" and "then". The now depicting the present and the "then" depicting the past. The story is placed in New York where Bobby lives in an apartment and has to take a bus to go and visit Nia and his father. The reader finds out why Bobby has decided to keep Feather instead of putting her up for adoption as the climax of the story takes place in the chapter titled, "Nia". At the end of the book, Bobby and Feather move to Heaven, Ohio to live with Bobby’s brother. Through out this book, Johnson uses believable language for the African American culture and does include some swearing. This book shows the responsibility it takes for a teenager to raise a child and an insight to lower middle class surviving in New York. It is refreshing to have a book about the teenage father instead of the typical book about the teenage mother. The First Part Last was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award for writing category and the Michael L. Printz Award in 2004 .

The First Part Last was the pre-sequel to another award winning book called Heaven. Heaven (1999), The First Part Last (2004), and Toning the Sweep (1994) by Angela Johnson have earned the Coretta Scott King Award. Angela Johnson is an African American author that was born on June 18, 1961 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She is currently a free-lance writer of children’s books.

Schroeder, A. 1996. Minty. New York: Puffin.

(Illustrated by Jerry Pinkey)

Minty is about an eight year old Harriet Tubman surviving as a slave on the Brodas plantation in the 1820's. This fictionalized story tells of the cruel owners that found Minty too clumsy to work in the house and made her a field slave. Minty’s father teaches her survival techniques as she plans for an escape from the plantation.

The author, Alan Schroeder, uses culture specific words such as "spillin’", "missus", "mist’r", "fixin", and "don tol" to give authenticity to the setting of this book. Minty has to hide her rag doll in a bail of hay and it is later thrown in the fireplace by Mrs. Brodas. Mrs. Brodas also commands the overseer to whip Minty for freeing muskrats out of traps. Mrs Brodas’ actions depict her as a very vicious person.

The illustrator, Jerry Pinkney, researched in many places before attempting to illustrate this book. Pinkney read Harriet Tubman’s biography, The Moses of Her People, and had help from the National Park Service on extensive research that unfolded the style of plantations, food, clothing, and environment around Maryland in the 1820's. Pinkney used pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor in full page layouts. The expressions on Mrs. Brodas face as she is scolding Minty are unpleasant and cruel. The illustrations in this book are descriptive, authentic, and compelling.

At the end of the book, there is an author’s note that tells about Harriet Tubman eventually escaping and starting the Underground Railroad.

Minty won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration, is an ALA notable book, winner of the Christopher Award, and an IRA/CBC children’s choice.

Mckissack, P. 2001. Goin' Someplace Special. New York: Atheneum.

(Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney)

Goin’ Someplace Special is a fictionalized book that is set in Nashville, Tennessee, in the 1960's. The main character is Tricia Ann, an African American girl that wants to go to "someplace special" by herself. Mama Frances tells Tricia Ann to go and "hold yo’ head up and act like you b’long to somebody". Tricia Ann has to take the bus and overcome many obstacles of racism and segregation before making it to the one place in town that was not segregated, the public library.

Patricia Mckissack, the author, does a splendid job in conveying believable language for an African American culture in the segregated south. Mckissack’s descriptive words help the reader sympathize and rejoice with Tricia Ann as she encounters situations along her journey. As she makes her final destination, McKissack describes the library as "looking proud in the summer sun", "it was much more than brick and stone. It was an idea. Mama Frances called it a doorway to freedom". McKissack used her own personal experiences of growing up in Nashville in the 1960's to help her write this book.

The illustrator is Jerry Pinkney. J. Pinkney is the only illustrator to win the Coretta Scott King Award four times. In this book, J. Pinkney uses pencil and watercolor illustrations on full page layouts. Tricia Ann is wearing a colorful dress with a bright yellow hat and sash which mirrors her enthusiasm to go out on her own to the special place. Pinkney includes the Jim Crow signs that are found on the bus (colored section) and on the park bench (for whites only). Most of the people helping Tricia Ann are African American in the pictures except for the helpful, elderly woman that helps her in the Mission Church ruins and the little boy that talks with her outside of the Grand Music Palace. The look of relief on Tricia Ann’s face at the end of the book is priceless as she reads, "Public Library: All Are Welcome".

Coretta Scott King Award

The First Part Last, Minty, and

Goin' Someplace Special are all

Coretta Scott King Award Winners.

Clink the link below to learn more about the

Corretta Scott King Award!

Book covers on this web site are from Barnes and Noble's website at www.bn.com.