Book review: After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age

Interest Level:
Ages 12-16

Reading Level: 
Lexile 750, Grades 6-10


Book Theme:
 Friendship, hard times, difficult family situations


Books with Similar Themes:  
Girl by Blake Nelson, Begging for Change by Sharon Flake

Bibliographic Information: 
Woodson, J. (2008). After Tupac and D Foster. NY: J. Putnam's Sons.


Plot:  
One day two young female friends, the main character whose name is never revealed and her friend Neeka look across the street and see a girl they have never seen before. The girls begin a conversation and become close friends. They learn her name is D and that she lives in foster care. D is a wander who is allowed to take the bus everywhere as long as she is home by her curfew. D says one day she will go back to living with her mother when the mother gets her life together. They learn very little else and are always wanting to learn more about her. D teaches them to love the music of Tupac Shakur. The three of them spend the next two years together and go through things like growing up and going to visit Neeka's older brother in jail. They struggle  together with fear and sadness when Tupac is shot and nearly dies. And then one day D's mother returns, and their lives and friendship are never the same.

Review:  
This book deals with some difficult issues such as absent parents, siblings in jail, gay siblings, living in foster care, and dealing with grief and loss at a young age. It also has friendship of  three girls that is strong but also fragile. It shows how friendships, no matter how strong they may be, can also start to fade away with the passage of time. Many tweens will love and relate to the characters in this book and their stories. Tweens who love rap music and have discovered the music of late Tupac will also find something in this book. Although Tupac was controversial this book shows the positive impact his music had on many people and how his death affect many. It's a great book for any tween who wants to learn about friendship, the positive sides of rap music for tweens, the strength of family in the face of tough times, and the inner strength it takes to survive in a foster care situation.


Notable Tweens
The main character without a name- The story is told from her point of view. She is the quietest of the three friends. She makes sure to follow her mother's rules. Her mother is a single mom and she is an only child. She is very close to her mother but often wishes for brothers and sisters like Neeka has.

Neeka- Neeka is a tween who is sassy and the most outspoken of the three friends. She comes from a big family with two older brothers, a pair of younger twin brothers and a pair of twin sisters. The family drivers her crazy and sometimes she envies her friend and wishes she were an only child. Her oldest brother is in jail for a crime he did not commit. He is also gay, which is something her mother has a hard time accepting.

D Foster- D foster is a character who is wise beyond her years. She has been in the foster care for a while and has learned that she needs to behave and not act out or she could be faced with being taken away. D relates to Tupac and feels as though he is talking to her in the song Brenda's Got A Baby. The song talks about people who don't have a chance. D says that Tupac is helping her find her big purpose in life, something she believes everybody has and everybody will find in their lives.