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roseleaf24's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think this book has held up as well as Woodson's other books, but her characters are strong and the setting is vibrant. The plot is tightly woven and engaging.
swhite's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
steel_city_peach's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Empathetic
I loved the way this story highlighted how Tupac was so relatable. He was the voice for so many young people. This book captured that phenomenon so well. The characters in the book spoke of him with such reverence. D. Foster’s story was sad, but realistic. Her experiences with foster care and her absentee mom reflected what so many children have had to overcome. The book also touched on homophobia, racism, and inhumane prison conditions. It was heavy, but the author wove it into the story in a natural way. It didn’t feel preachy or cliché.
shyster's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
allysonbogie's review against another edition
5.0
After Tupac and D Foster is the type of magical book that whisks you into its fictional world and makes you forget reality for awhile. The book spans several years, from when the narrator and her best friends are eleven to thirteen years old. They are on the edge of puberty when the book starts--starting to be interested in boys, and wanting more independence from their families--but still very aware that they have to follow their families' rules and stay on their block. A new girl, D Foster, comes into their lives. She's the same age but takes the bus to their neighborhood and decides to stay and hang out. On her second visit, she brings a double dutch rope and the girls connect because they are the "older" girls who know how to jump rope. D's arrival seems to symbolize a completion--they couldn't jump double dutch without this third friend. Time and specifics are pretty fluid in this book, and the book was a very short, quick read, yet I didn't feel like I was missing out on big chunks of anything important. In a way it is told in vignettes, because really important moments are pulled out of their lives and described in detail. Woodson manages to do all of this and really convey the feeling of being there, with a first person narrator in 150 pages.
Neeka's oldest brother is in jail for his supposed role in a robbery gone wrong. He is in jail upstate, 3 hours away on a bus. The narrator goes with Neeka and her family to visit and the journey and visit is one of the most vivid descriptions in the book. We find out at the end that Tash wasn't the one responsible for the violence--rather, it was a hate crime committed against him and his friend, both of whom are gay. Woodson does a good job of addressing Tash's multiple identities--he is black and gay--and he is a beautiful character who manages to not be afraid despite what he has gone through.
Woodson also weaves Tupac and his music into the book. His life and death situate the story in a certain time and place, but it does not feel dated. The girls' connection to Tupac seems to be an aspect of their adolescence and growing independence. Music tends to be so important to the middle school students I work with and this book definitely captures that in a powerful way.
In addition to addressing racism, class issues, jail, and gay bashing, Woodson portrays D's experience moving in and out of foster care in a sensitive way. For readers who don't know anything about the child welfare system, they get an understanding of it from a very kid-friendly perspective. For kids who are familiar with it, they will see their experiences reflected in the book.
This book is truly a middle school book, but I think that some 5th and 6th grade readers would also relate to it. The violence committed during Tash's supposed crime is the only part of the book that I would be especially concerned about with younger students. Otherwise, kids will digest the parts of the book that they understand and relate to, and skim over the parts that might be too old for them.
I think this would make a good class read. It's short and
could be completed in class in a few weeks, but it is very dense. In some ways it is like the House on Mango Street, but much easier to understand and more middle school appropriate. And I am now motivated to read everything by Jacqueline Woodson as I think the writing is very powerful.
Neeka's oldest brother is in jail for his supposed role in a robbery gone wrong. He is in jail upstate, 3 hours away on a bus. The narrator goes with Neeka and her family to visit and the journey and visit is one of the most vivid descriptions in the book. We find out at the end that Tash wasn't the one responsible for the violence--rather, it was a hate crime committed against him and his friend, both of whom are gay. Woodson does a good job of addressing Tash's multiple identities--he is black and gay--and he is a beautiful character who manages to not be afraid despite what he has gone through.
Woodson also weaves Tupac and his music into the book. His life and death situate the story in a certain time and place, but it does not feel dated. The girls' connection to Tupac seems to be an aspect of their adolescence and growing independence. Music tends to be so important to the middle school students I work with and this book definitely captures that in a powerful way.
In addition to addressing racism, class issues, jail, and gay bashing, Woodson portrays D's experience moving in and out of foster care in a sensitive way. For readers who don't know anything about the child welfare system, they get an understanding of it from a very kid-friendly perspective. For kids who are familiar with it, they will see their experiences reflected in the book.
This book is truly a middle school book, but I think that some 5th and 6th grade readers would also relate to it. The violence committed during Tash's supposed crime is the only part of the book that I would be especially concerned about with younger students. Otherwise, kids will digest the parts of the book that they understand and relate to, and skim over the parts that might be too old for them.
I think this would make a good class read. It's short and
could be completed in class in a few weeks, but it is very dense. In some ways it is like the House on Mango Street, but much easier to understand and more middle school appropriate. And I am now motivated to read everything by Jacqueline Woodson as I think the writing is very powerful.
lannthacker's review against another edition
2.0
J WOODSON - african american urban realistic, foster care, race , coming of age
Two 11 year old lifelong friends meet a mysterious new girl on their block and become an almost instant trio. D is with them for 2 great years, a story that runs parallel to the first shooting of Tupac Shakur and his death. Not real plot-heavy, this book talks about the dangers and injustices of being black, as well as in the foster care system.
Two 11 year old lifelong friends meet a mysterious new girl on their block and become an almost instant trio. D is with them for 2 great years, a story that runs parallel to the first shooting of Tupac Shakur and his death. Not real plot-heavy, this book talks about the dangers and injustices of being black, as well as in the foster care system.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
A good story that lots of teens will relate too, but I was a little disappointed it wasn't longer or had a larger plot. It's a pretty simplistic story about how two young black girl's lives are changed when a girl named D. Foster walks onto their block. They immediately become best friends and the girls try to probe for details about D's mysterious life. All they know is that she has a foster mom and is obsessed with Tupac. Over the next two years they slowly learn more about her troubled past and that only makes them more committed to being her friend. They learn how to deal with boys, racism, broken homes, gays, developing bodies, and more. A good coming of age novel, I just wish there were a little more to it.
thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Such an amazingly powerful MG novel about race,
wrongful incarceration, homophobia, class systems, the foster care program and more. No wonder it won so many awards. #weneeddiversebooks
wrongful incarceration, homophobia, class systems, the foster care program and more. No wonder it won so many awards. #weneeddiversebooks
scottlovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
Intersectionality of gay youth is a highlight.