Lucy McElroy - After Tupac and D Foster

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After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson speaks so much about the way friendship can overcome hardships in adolescence. The novel details the experience of three preteen girls growing up in ‘90s Queens, New York – Neeka, D Foster, and the narrator. The girls constantly compare their identity in their specific culture to the famous rapper, Tupac Shakur’s identity in their same culture. The three girls’ strong bond over the social issues musical artist is an illustration of how cultural differences can be overcome for the better understanding of each other.
“Woodson’s books are powerful, groundbreaking and very personal explorations of the many ways in which identity and friendship transcend the limits of stereotype,” Edwards Award Committee chair Mary Arnold said. “Her captivating and richly drawn characters struggle and grow and celebrate who they are in the world, and reveal to readers exciting possibilities for their own lives.
-Young Adult Library Services Association
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/margaretaedwards/maeprevious/06
Adolescent readers can identify with the characters in After Tupac and D Foster, and this novel could be taught especially well in areas with low-income families. The issues of racial stereotypes and child welfare transcend beyond urban cities like New York. This novel could have tremendous impact on adolescents who are in foster care, as their stories are not often told in other young adult novels.
“It was hard to read anything about Tupac dying and not think about D. Seems D was right—you listen to Tupac’s songs and you know he’s singing about people like D, about all the kids whose mamas went away, about all the injustice. Brenda throwing away her baby, the cops beating some brother down, the hungry kids, sad kids, kids who got big dreams nobody’s listening to. Like over all that time and distance he looked right across the bridge into Queens, New York—right into Desiree’s eyes. Strange how he saw her” (151).
Jacqueline Woodson uses Tupac’s music to connect the three girls together. Neeka and the narrator may not have understood D Foster as a person if not for Tupac’s lyrics about it. The novel shows adolescents that your friends don’t have to be people who are just like you, that you shouldn’t discriminate, make fun of someone, or leave someone out because of the qualities that make them unique.


Comments

  1. Ms LopezOctober 18, 2016 at 1:14 PM

    I really enjoyed your book trailer. I feel like you put a lot of thought into the pictures you chose for it.
    This does seem like it would be a good book to read. I haven't read a lot about foster kids. I think it would also be good to have a book that's about kids in the inner city or kids in low income families. I think it is important for kids to be able to see themselves in fiction. Tupac is also pretty culturally relevant still.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 18, 2016 at 5:15 PM

    I agree with Fabiana. I thought your book trailer was awesome, and it made me wish there was an actual movie for this book. Is there?
    Anyway, I like your discussion about how this book has characters that represent people who are not often heard from in literature and the importance of that, as well.

    ReplyDelete

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