Book Description

Protector of the Small #4

Keladry of Mindelan has finally achieved her life-long dream of being a knight. But it’s not turning out as she imagined at all. With the land of Tortall at war with the Scanrans, she has been assigned to oversee a refugee camp. But Kel has had a vision in the Chamber–a vision of the man behind the horrific battle machines that her fellow knights and friends are now fighting without her. She is torn between a duty she has sworn and a quest that she feels could turn the tide of the war. . . . ... Read more

Reviews (91)

More to come
Okay, so Kel doesn't have a major romance here, and the ending seems a little flat, but the villain is actually more realistic than most. He's a small man that does big (and terrible) things. Most thugs are. And I think there is still another Kel book in the wings. Pierce has hinted as such, and the way this book ends with so much left unanswered seems to promise more in the future. And to be honest, I find I like Kel more and more the more and more I read. She's a very normal girl. Not in the girl-next-door or everyman way touted by Hollywood, but in the sense that she doesn't have any abilities that a normal girl in our world couldn't have. Not to mention she much more personable than Pierce's characters usually are. We love our loners like Alanna and Daine, but a team player like Kel is a nice change. Being a leader instead of a hero isn't exactly the norm for fantasy genre protaganists, and to have that "Captain of the Gaurds" sort of figure as more than an interesting bit character makes for a more "realistic" feel to the storytelling. While there's still plenty of magic and Tortallian references for us old timers, there's also the feeling that with a few tweaks you could put Kel in the Red Cross and have her refugees be from Eastern Europe rather than Norther Tortall without skipping a beat. Classic Pierce with some fresh twists.

Just What I Was Hoping For
I was waiting for what seemed like years for the fourth and final book of Kel's series to finally come out, and when I got it, I read it in two days. It's a thrilling, gripping ending to an amazing series.

Kel has finally gotten her shield, and she's sent with all the knights of the realm to the northern border to fight in the war against Scanra. But she's disappointed when she's put in command of a refugee camp instead of getting to fight and go on her personal quest to find the maker of the horrible machines being sent against Tortall. But she does what she's told, just like the Kel we know.

I was very pleased when Tamora Pierce got rid of Cleon, who I didn't like. I missed her usual romance in this book, but it did seem like Kel to not want a lover. Although I'm thinking about Dom...

I was also happy to find that all the characters that had seemingly been forgotten in the third book appeared again, like Neal, Owen, and her other year-mates. I loved all the new characters in this book, like Kel's servant boy Tobe, and the refugees she had to take care of. There was a lot of adventure and fighting in this book, but just enough to make you love it. And everything was done in a humorous and realistic way.

Kel acted just like herself in this book, which really made up for the mistakes in the third book. This is definitely a worthwhile read. This is my favorite of all of Tamora's series, and she's my favorite author. This is a must-read, and once you pick it up, you can't put it down.

Wierd
I don't get it why Kel dosen't have an inch of magic when Alanna and Daine have it. Daine is a Wilmage. Alanna is in the hand of the Goddess and has the healing gift.

Kel achieved her goal!
This is about the strong believer if her dreams. Kel is the 2nd lady knight that has been through the fantastic adventures of fantasy with Tamora Pierce. Protector of the Smallis a series in which Tamora Pierce creates a girl ( Kelandry of Mindelan)who's biggest dream is to become a Lady Knight. Kel enters the chamber of ordeal which shows her her destiny to save the children of a terrible fate in which Blayce (the nothing man) makes killig devices out of the children's spirits for the Warlord of Scanra (King Maggur)to destroy Tortall. Kel should have married Domitan of Masobelle(Neal's cousin who calls him Meathead because he is so stubborn) because he is nice and has a good sense of humor. Alanna the lioness should have married Jonathan.

The best Quartet
fine, the ending got to me a little. I was dissapointed cause i wanted more ending. But it was my favorite quartet of TP and i loved it! I was also dissapointed Neal was betrothed to Yukimi. He and Kel are so better off together. But Dom's okay i guess. he is neal's cousin, after all. I was left gloomy after reading all four books cuz i wanted more and felt like i was losing my friends when i didn't hav any more to read about kel. So i hope in trickster's choice, the book about alianne, alanna's daughter, which sounds like alien and is sort of a stupid name, they hav kel and neal in there. they're my favorite characters in the quartet! this book has great action when kel, finally a knight, gets sort of a task from the chamber of the ordeal and is left to command a refugee camp. SHe teaches the civilians to fight and when she leaves to visit sir wyldon, she finds out the camp has been attacked! Although wyldon commanded otherwise, she left the squads on her own to take back her refugees who were kidnapped to be fed to evil metal killing machines a mage named Blayce was making. Her friends join, wanting to help her rather than save their shield as what they were doing was basically treason. So they head onto Scanra where war takes place to get back the children, that was what they spent eight years training for! Grate!!!! wonderful book, i luuuuuvved it!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The HARDY BOYS®

SKIN & BONES SELLS EVERYTHING
FROM ANACONDA SKINS TO OSTRICH
SKELETONS -- BUT SOMEONE' S TRYING
TO TRASH THE BUSINESS!

Cody Chang's San Francisco store could be considered creepy -- Skin & Bones sells animal skulls, fish skeletons, reptile skins, and more. Business is booming, but when Frank and Joe visit the shop, Cody tells them he's been the victim of a string of burglaries, computer thefts, and threatening messages.

The Hardys immediately pinpoint a suspect -- a criminal who was once caught in a sting by Cody's father, a policeman. Now there's danger everywhere for Frank and Joe -- from a cable car accident to the dense redwood forests of Muir Woods to the foggy, ice-cold waters off Alcatraz. The brothers are running hard and thinking fast -- up against a smart, desperate enemy ready to skin them alive!

SKIN & BONES ... Read more

Book Description

The train stretched out like a white snake in front of him, twenty-five wagons rolling forward, dipping and leaning over the uneven prairie ...

The year is 1857, and Bill Cody's pa has recently passed away. Now eleven years old, Bill takes a job as an extra hand on a wagon train headed west to help raise money for his family. It is a dream come true for Bill, and he is determined to be the best hired hand Lew Simpson has ever known!

Bill is soon befriended by Wild Bill Hickock, a man known throughout Kansas as the most deadly shot who ever lived. But he also realizes that working on the trail can be mighty hazardous. Faced with fierce hailstorms, a few mean-hearted teamsters, and a frightening buffalo stampede, Bill wonders if he has what it takes to be a true westerner.

The exciting fourth book in the on-going adventure series about young Buffalo Bill, west on the wagon train sweeps readers back into the exciting and dangerous world of America's frontier past.

Book Description

Book Description

Will Cody and his family are true pioneers, leaving behind Iowa and everything familiar to venture into the newly established Kansas Territory. Join Buffalo Bill on his first journey as he and his Ma, Pa, and sisters board a covered wagon and blaze a new trail.

Reviews (2)

When men were men
If Bill had posters on the wall of his newly built frontier home, they would show Kit Carson and Jim Bridger, frontiersmen and gentlemen both, also Bill's cousin Horace Billings...and Bill's beloved father Isaac.

Like Richard Peck and Harper Lee, Kimmel provides a simple definition of manhood (and womanhood): Stand your ground, keep your cool, do what's needed.Unlike today's hair-trigger instant-microwave world, the 19th century has Horace and Isaac and even Bill talk their way out of danger, rather than reach for fists and firearms.

An Exciting Start to a Fantastic New Series
Bill Cody is only eight-years-old when his twelve-year-old brother, Sammy, is killed while riding a wild horse. He blames himself, and knows that he should have tried harder to get Sammy not to get on the horse, but why would Sammy listen to him? Sammy was a man, Bill was just a kid. So starts TO THE FRONTIER. With the tragedy a few months behind them, the Cody family packs up and decides to leave LeClaire, Iowa, as well as the bad memories that it holds, and head towards the newly established Kansas Territory, where they hope to claim a great piece of land before anyone else can. However, Bill quickly realizes that Kansas is nothing like Iowa, as there's a real city, and the people (especially the men) are rougher than he ever expected they'd be.

As a fan of historical fiction, I was ecstatic to find the new series THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG BUFFALO BILL in the local Barnes & Noble, and just knew that I had to purchase TO THE FRONTIER, as I've always been interested in reading about Buffalo Bill. What I found was a fantastic new series, that I hope to read more from in the future. Bill is a fun character, who, at the age of eight is wise beyond his years, in both the horse business, as well as the family business. His sisters are fun characters to read about, though they don't make the greatest appearance in this book, and his parents, especially his Pa, are exciting and good-natured. What makes the series even more exciting is the fact that E. Cody Kimmel is a distant relative of Buffalo Bill, so you enjoy reading what she has to write about him. All in all this was a fabulous book, and a must have for anyone interested in cowboys, Buffalo Bill, or historical fiction.

Erika Sorocco ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A lovely, touching book
This is a beautiful book. I was particularly moved by the quiet, gentle way the father and uncle helped the little boy, by showing his friends that their views were completely wrong, without berating or lecturing them, and then providing them with a new game to play. I am a bit baffled as to why one reviewer would demand to know why there are no heroines in the book. That's not what the story is about, is why. It's a gem of a book and to carp at it for not following someone else's agenda is staggeringly unfair.

I Am An American Brought to Life
For too long mainstream American clung to the idea that blue eyes and blond hair equalled an "all-American kid." In times of war, the resulting prejudice against our own citizens of Japanese descent led to some of the most shameful actions in our Nation's history. Here, a young boy's message that he is American is bolstered by the appearance of men in his family in their American military service uniforms. Heavier in its message than BASEBALL SAVED US (an outstanding title by the same author), the theme of HEROES nevertheless should be shared again and again.

Sexist and sterotypical--a really disturbing book
I wanted to like this book. The theme is one I think important. However, it was very troubling. First, the little boy is unable to speak up for himself. It's a poor message to Asian children. Second, the boy's father and uncle have to "speak" for him by appearing in uniform. All due respect to the veterans of the armed services, but why couldn't the boy resolve this problem himself instead of having grown ups do it for him? And what about heroines? This book fails to measure up to its promise. Save your money. ... Read more

Book Description

SOMETHING ROTTEN IS LURKING AT THIS RANCH!

It's winter in Bayport, but things are heating up at the Morton family farm. It looks like someone is wreaking havoc with the property, and Chet and Iola Morton are worried that their grandparents are in danger of losing it! With their parents out of reach, the Mortons call on Frank and Joe Hardy for help. They need to figure out who's behind the trouble -- and fast.

The Hardys are hot on the trail, but the Mortons' grandparents do something unexpected -- and the boys are stopped in their tracks. Can Frank and Joe plow through this mystery before the farm is snowed under? ... Read more

Book Description

Robby Denwood is an 11-year-old on a losing streak. Obsessed with basketball, he worships J.J., the NBA superstar of the mighty Thunder. Unfortunately, Robby is himself a terrible player, benched for all of his school team’s games. After one hard day on the practice field, Robby decides to run away from home, toward the Thunder’s arena. When a chance meeting brings him together with his hero, he finds that nothing is quite what he thought it would be. Robby’s friendship with the superstar leads him to the bright lights of the pro-basketball world, but it also leads the fame-weary J.J. into Robby’s world of simplicity and contemplation. Robby will never become the hoops star of his dreams, and J.J. will never be an anonymous kid again, but both come to realize that string music does not only come from the sound of a ball swishing through a net. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

String Music
String Music is about a boy who loves basketball. He's having some problems at home, so he sneaks off to a NBA basketball game where he will see his favorite basketball player, Jasper Jasmine. After the game he sneaks off into the locker room to get a couple of words with Jasper Jasmine. Before he gets thrown out after the game he started crying because he was thinking about his mom's problems. Jasper pulls up at a red light in his black Ferrari and talks with the boy. He takes the boy home, and the next week the boy gets a letter aking if he could be a ball boy for four home games. He convinces his mom to let him go. They become friends and this helps the boy. I liked this book because I like basketball and I` would like to meet a basketball star. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

A charming glimpse of ancient Rome!
Marissa Moss's book, written as if by a 12-year-old slave in the court of Augustus, is full of fascinating and accurate facts. The illustrations in particular are charming and very useful in painting a picture of daily life in 1st century Rome.

This book would be a great resource for any class studying the ancient Romans. It would also be a useful complement to my own series of children's historical novels (The Roman Mysteries) set in a slightly later period. A big thumbs-up! ... Read more

Book Description

This Time Around follows Jordan and Ralph as they become involved in a struggle with Reverend Wellerson,a TV evangelist, over the fate of gay youth centers. Wellerson is willing to stop at nothing to crush gay rights and who better to halt his evil plans than the most famous rock star in the entire world?While battling Wellerson, Jordan seeks to come to terms with his own past and learn more about the father he never knew.The excitement builds when an assassin is hired and death becomes a real possibility for Jordan and those around him.Jordan is forced to face his own fears and doubts and the battle within becomes more dangerous than the battle without.Will Jordan be able to turn from the path of destruction, or is he doomed to follow in the footsteps of his father?This time around, things will be different. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Highly recommendable !
Roeder's books may be aimed at gay teens but I found myself enjoying his books though I am over 40. Thus far I have finised his books in one sitting and "This Time Around" is no exception. Jordan's search for his past, his reconciliation with his grandparents, his final acceptance of what happened to his father is touchingly written. I have to admit I was in tears quite a few times. The part of gay bashing seems familiar. However gay bashing is pervasive in today's society and not something we are proud of and Roeder's reminder of its existence is admirable. And I do like the way it is linked to Jordan in the story. Overall, "This Time Around" is a simple story yet complex in its entirety. It is emotionally told and I enjoy it. As I dislike tragedies, I have yet to bring myself to read Ancient Prejudice and The Soccer Fied is Empty, the tragic stories of Jordan's father and Mark. After reading "This Time Around", I think I can finally bring myself to read this two tragic stories. I hope the next book in this gay chronicles series is not too far away.

Simple Read
Not a challenging read. Took me less then a day to read.

Often times, it seemed like either a vessel for the authors views or some over the top campy story.

I'd suggest you wait and buy the book used or read it online.

They just don't get any better than this one!!!!
I have to say, I just finished reading TTA, and,
Mark, this is by far, your greatest work to date! Not that your other
8 (or so) books are not great, as they all have kept me tied to
the chair until they were finished, but I must say, that TTA has
pulled me in more emotional directions than any book in a long
time.

My only regret is that I get so wrapped up in your
novels, that I read them in a 2 day time span and then must wait until the
next one. But as they say, 'good things come to those that
wait', and you are by far, the best voice for the Gay Youth, through your
novels. You take alot of what I felt as a kid and teen, thinking I
was all alone in my thinking, and tell me that I was not alone, and
thank god I survived it, and did not do anything stupid.

Reading your novels, give me hope that one day, we
will all be able to live in peace and safety and be proud of who we
are.

Wonderful story for gay boys of any age!
This latest title in Mark Roeder's Gay Youth Chronicles series is without a doubt his best effort. His characters have been developed and polished until they have the depth and resonance of real people.

The issues the characters tackle are those that are most important to gay people just beginning to deal with their sexuality, regardless of what age that occurs, but will be especially helpful to gay teens who in the reality of our world don't usually have a 'Gay Youth Center' to help them. Thoughts of suicide, loneliness, sex and exclusivity in relationships, and handling issues of religion and homosexuality are all dealt with in a positive and authoritative way.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love Jordan, Ralph, and their friends. Don't wait, get this book today!

The Best Yet!!
This Time Around is simply the best novel so far in the Gay Youth Chronicles series. Mark is truly growing as an author and now we know his characters and love them so much more. Warning this is at least a three hankie novel. However I would suggest you read other novels in the series before you read this one.

Ken Clark
Mark's Webmaster
Email me at webmaster@markroeder.com ... Read more

Book Description

CREATURE CARDS ARE HOT,
EXPENSIVE -- AND BANNED
FROM BAYPORT HIGH!

Gaming has already caused too much hassling among the students. But the Hardys' friend Chet is really upset when his confiscated deck is stolen from a teacher's locked desk. It's the latest in a string of thefts, and the big tournament is coming up. The police are stumped, but Frank and Joe are playing their best hand to catch the thief.

From a waterfront park to a deserted nighttime mall, the boys uncover a web of Internet action, trading, selling, secret games, and cheating. They're onto a criminal scheme that nets giant profits -- and the decks are stacked against them. But the Hardys have one special trick up their sleeves!

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cards Too Hot to Handle
I'm not really a fan of Hardy Boys books but this book was really written well. It starts off when Bayport High implements a new rule, "No Cards in School". Chet is really upset about it but he still decides to bring his cards to class because he wants to brag about his new card. His cards get confiscated and gets stolen from his teacher's locked desk. That's when all the fun starts to pile up. Cards get stolen around the school and the Hardy's are stumped. It could be anyone at school. I suggest this book to everybody out there even people who aren't really Hardy Boys fans. This book is a must!! ... Read more

Book Description

Once there was a boy. At first, he was so small he didn't even have a name. But as soon as he was born, the boy began to grow. He kept growing, even though he could not walk, talk or feed himself. When people said, My, what a big boy you are, he knew they were right. Before long, the boy could see on top of the table instead of just underneath. He took big steps, ate big meals and used big words. He even slept in a big bed, went to a big school, and played with bigger boys. Soon the boy got so big that his world began to grow too--and as it did, so did the promise of everything he was and everything he would be!Bold drawings and childlike text come together in a universally appealing book that celebrates the one thing every child can do--get bigger!Daniel Kirk lives in New Jersey. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A wonderful book by a wonderful author/illustrator
This is a sweet, wonderful book for reading with an older toddler or preschooler, especially at the end of a day that may have been filled with struggles. I love the line "as my world grew bigger, I was big enough to hold it all." Kirk is extremely talented and we own many of his books, but this is my personal favorite, right up there with HUSH, LITTLE ALIEN.

Bigger by Daniel Kirk
From his mother's womb, this is a tale about how a boy continues to grow with every encounter with the world at large.The way he getsencouragement from the people he meets as he makes his transition to bigclothes.It's all about growing, new experiences and new people.Greatfull-page illustrations supplement the tale of growth. ... Read more

Book Description

As important a book today as it was when it was first written, The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fielding, a farm boy who sets out in search of glory by running away from home to join the Civil War, only to find himself running away from the battlefield in terror during the first skirmish. Mortified by his cowardice, Henry yearns for a wound, his own red badge of courage, which would legitimize his desertion of his company. When Henry is finally wounded, he finds himself feeling real anger for the very first time, and finally is able to redeem himself.

First published in 1865, and in print for 137 years, Stephen Crane's story is considered one of the most important novels of the nineteenth century. It explores the dual natures of battle -- the simultaneous sensations of beauty and violence, of terror and triumph -- and masterfully mirrors them to Henry's own inner turmoil. Fervent and patriotic illustrations by Wendell Minor make The Red Badge of Courage an important addition to the Scribner Illustrated Classics series. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Matt Greene is 5'1", a nerd, invisible to girls, and has a best friend who's the biggest stud at Hannaford School in New York City. Babes practically trip over Matt to get to Keith, a guy so studly his smile is featured in a toothpaste ad. Sure, sometimes Matt gets a little jealous. And once, at the peak of Keith's studliness, Matt wishes his best friend's life would fall apart. A little extreme? Sure. But not as extreme as the changes that are about to take place.... ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An amazing book
Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eight-Grade Basket Case by Dan Elish is a great book. Not only is it funny, but it shows meaning to how you get used to high school/junior high and it tells a story of who you are becoming as an indivivual. Well anyways, I am a kid and I think that this book got *****(5) stars! And check out her other books too. If you are into comdy/family(yourself)/problems and learning who you are, then defenitly read this book. It is fiction too, which I think is great.

Funny, sweet, and true...
Matt Greene is a fun kid. I know many like him. I wasn't quite as self-aware, but I was indeed born too short. I know exactly how he felt. I teach many kids like him now. No matter what your age, this book may touch your heart. It is sweet story about the hopeful times we have in youth. There is a magic about those days that this book captures. Well worth the read.

Fun New Read
"Born Too Short" is a novel that could be compared to a modern-day "Catcher in the Rye." Matt Greene, the main character, is completely invisible to girls, too short (he's only 5'1), and a total nerd. At least that's how he feels, having Keith, the biggest stud at New York City's Hannaford School, who is a God with all of the girls, and just happens to have his perfect smile pasted all over New York in a stupid toothpaste advertisement. Becoming jealous of his best friends good luck, Matt wishes that Keith's entire life would fall apart. He never knew that his wish would actually come true.

This is a perfect book for male or female fans. Matt and Keith are funny characters, whom you can relate with completely. Anyone looking for an insteresting young adult book should purchase this.

Erika Sorocco

About "Born Too Short"
About "Born Too Short"

Born Too Short was a great story. The story was about two teenage boys living in New York City. One of the boys named Matt Greene is a 5'1'' nerd and is about five inches shorter than his best bud named Keith Livingston. Now Keith is the kind of guy who is the stud and also the athlete in the ninth grade. He also is so handsome and charming that he practically needs to keep a chart of all his babes. While Matt is the kind of kid who played a guitar all day and has never made out with a girl before.

Later in the Story, Keith is having a wonderful time being a stud and having all the babes and all that fancy stuff while Matt is getting jealous. But then, finally Matt meets a girl and really likes her and asks her to go on a date with him to Keith's rock/jazz performance. But when Matt takes his date to the performance, she sees Keith and is hooked. So she leaves Matt and goes and hangs around Keith. And while all of this is happening, Matt gets even more jealous of Keith. Then, later that night Matt is talking to a friend of his from school when he sees Keith making out with the tenth grade "hottie". Now keep in mind that both Matt and Keith are in ninth grade. So Matt gets really mad about the fact that he is a loser and his best friend is inside making out with the tenth grade knockout. So then, after pacing a couple of times up and down the sidewalk outside, he yells out a bunch of wishes.

Well, further through the story, Matt's wishes start coming true and he wants to set everything back to normal but he can't. This story is very exciting. It made me laugh and sit on the edge of my seat at some points. So if I were to rate this story from one to five stars, I would rate it a five. I really liked this story and would recommend itm to everyone who likes a good story that will make you laugh.

Funny and Big-Hearted
If you have had enough of teenage cynicism and jadedness, try Born Too Short, which is a good-natured and true and funny look at what it's like to be an eighth grade guy. You might ask, what could possibly be funny about that? Elish finds it in his hero Matt Greene's angst about girls, dating, sex, and other looming disasters. The heart of the story, though, is Matt's friendship with his overachieving best friend Keith, which is refreshingly and realistically close. A good read, and a definite change of pace. ... Read more

Book Description

Picture Me Grown-Up lets readers see themselves in various costumes, trying on fun clothes and hair styles, deciding on a career, and imagining the pet of their dreams.Over 60 peel and press pieces allow readers to change the story again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Picture Me With Grandpa
I really enjoyed reading this book with my five-year-old grandchild. Living about an hour away,I don't get to see him very often, but he has that book with both of our pictures in it to remember me. It's great.

Fun reading and playing
Good book to inspire the imagination! My daughter enjoyedbeing able to use the stickers to think about different opportunitiesfor the future. ... Read more

Book Description

This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom's room and have her do the whole thing.
It's not going to happen....

Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.

With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

I understand why this book received the Printz Award
This book, The First Part Last, is the American Library Association's choice for the 2004 Printz Award for Young Adult literature. On reading it, I can see why. It is beautifully written, with two timelines interwoven together. Usually this would be jarring, but Johnson moves from "then" and "now" seamlessly so what happened "then" seems very much apart of "now."

"Now" being 16-year old Bobby's attempt to be responsible and raise his baby Feather without burdening his parents. Johnson makes her readers feel what it is like to have a new human being who is so dependent and so loving. She also does a good job of showing what Bobby has lost, what growing he still needs to do. He isn't sleeping, he is becoming different from his friends because they aren't fathers, he isn't getting time to paint or think or doing anything to heal himself, and he does have healing to do.

And in this process, he gains a new understanding of his own parents. My favorite moment of the book happens shortly before Bobby moves out of his mother's apartment. He overhears his mother say to the baby "Take care of him for me."

My reason for giving The First Part Last a four rather than a five rating was the ending. The ending was satisfying, but I felt like I didn't know enough about what he had decided to do and where his life and Feather's would go next. I didn't know this when I started reading this book, but this is just one in a group of books that Johnson has written about the same family. My problem was that I hadn't read the book "Heaven." So, my two cents is read "Heaven" first and you will love this book.

A Teenage Boy Becomes of Age.
Bobby just found out he is going to be a father. Here lies the beginning of a wonderful story written by Angela Johnson. The book is in two parts. They are title Now and Then. The author takes you to before and after the arrival of the baby Feather. Bobby is a teenage boy who found out his girlfriend Nia is expecting. The book describes Bobby, Nia and their family feelings on the baby. The book to me is a wondeful take on the reality of teen pregnancy. On a sad note the readers find out that Nia is in a form of coma where she is in a vegative state for the rest of her life after giving birth to the baby. Wonderful read for tweens and teens who are intimate with one another. They could read this and comprehend somewhat the huge responsibility of having a baby as a teen.

One that you won't want to miss...
I chose to read this book for a literature class this summer. I found it hard to put down and I was sorry when it was over. It is the story of a 16 year old boy who chooses to raise his baby daughter instead of putting her up for adoption. I think every teenager (boys and girls) should read this book. It has a great message and I believe all teenagers could relate to the characters in the book. This is the first Angela Johnson book I have read, but I can't wait to put my hands on her other books!

(...)

Now and Then
This was the first book I read about teenage pregnancy from the male perspective. This book was educational and enlightening.

In reading the book I noticed how the author barely talked about the mother in the present tense. It made me wonder what she was feeling and thinking, but as I read on I understood why.

When the author spoke in Bobby's voice it was very honest and poignant. I loved when Bobby realized Nia's (the mother) fate and stepped up to the plate and decided to be a single father, which is very rare in this day and age. The author also made the reader realize what a single mother goes through on a day to day basis. Very interesting book, I am going to pass this one off to my son's also.

Later...

The First Part last
This book shares with us the life of a 16 year old boy, who has just had the responsibilities of parenthood put in his hands. He has to put up with sleepless nights, and multiple errands of picking up and dropping off Feather (his daughter)while still going to school. Throughout the book you are left wondering why Bobby is taking care of the baby practically by himself, and why he refers to his girlfriend Nia as if she is gone. Well by the end of the book Angela Johnson finally hits us with a bit of vital information. It turns out that after having the baby, Nia was placed in an Irreversible vegetative coma.
Angela Johnson creatively webs the book together by smoothly traveling through chapters entitled "now" and "then" in which Bobby (the teen father)talks about the good old days that he, Nia,and his two best friends K-boy and J.L, use to share. And when it switches over to "now" he shares with us the hardship of being a parent. Yet through all of this is, he has this unconditional love for his daughter,and this love was so strong that when it was time for him to sign the adoption papers, he decided that he should be a man and handle the responsibilities of being a father, even though he is unsure of exactly what it is he is suppose to do.
This book will have you glued till the end for there is never a dull moment, where you don't want to find out what's going to happen next. And no matter what kind of person you are, your heart will definatly have been touched by the end of this book. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Who Let Girls in the Boy's Locker Room?
I am JNM a fifth grade student at WMA. In Jefferson Middle School where Michelle, Skye, and Keish were in the sixth grade. Michelle (as people call her "Smidge") was terrified on her first day in her new school. One day the three girls saw a paper on the bulletin that said "Basketball try-outs". Michelle asked her parents and they said "Sure!" Michelle and her friends have a problem the basketball team is all boys. Will they ever get through? I think this is the best book I've ever read. I give this 5 stars if I were you!

Girls in the Wrong Locker Room!
Whoa Baby! Watch out cause those girls must be snooping. What are they doing in the Boys Locker Room! The boys must be freaken.

Who Let Girls in the Boys' Locker Room?
The charactors were believable because they were on a basketball team and were like real. These girls got onto a boys team. At the first the boys thought it wasn't going to work out, but then the girls kind of got back into the game and then the boys thought they were kind of good.

Read this book!
This book was excellent! I loved it especially because I am an athlete and the title cought my attention. It was really funny, and it stayed on the topic. It also proved girls can try anything boys can. Now I am reading the sequel"Get That Girl Out of The Boys' Locker Room" which is also funny. These books I highly recommend!

Three girls who love basketball and joins the boys team
Smidge,Skye,and Keisha are three very different girls with one thing in common: they love basketball.So when budget cuts they eliminate the girls' basketball team,so they accept Jefferson Junior High's offer to join the boys team.But playing with the boys is more of a challenge than the girls expect.The boys won't accept girls on their team or in their locker room! As the big game against their rival approaches,the girls must prove themselves to be an important part of the team.And the boys must face a tough question: Can boys and girls ever be teammates-or friends?I hope you read this book because i really enjoyed it, and it proves that girls can do whatever guys do. ... Read more