Module 7: After Tupac & D Foster

Book Summary


Set in the mid-nineties, in a neighborhood in Queens, New York, After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson is a realistic fiction book about three 12-year-old friends. The main character acts as the narrator detailing the time in her life when she and best friend, Neeka, met D, a foster child who just wandered into their neighborhood one day. The girls bond over their love for rapper Tupac Shakur, analyzing his song lyrics and following him in the news as the book is set during the final tumultuous years of Tupac’s life until his tragic death. Although they feel an instant connection with D, Neeka and the narrator don’t know much about her life. D is deep and philosophical, but doesn’t share much about herself until the day her biological mother shows up and takes D back. The girls promise to stay friends forever, but eventually Neeka and the narrator loose touch with D. There is also a sub plot about D's brother, a gay man who is in jail because he was framed for the murder of another gay man.

My Impressions


I like how the author portrayed the characters’ interest in Tupac. I felt like I could really relate to that feeling of connection to a famous artist through their songs. This book also brought me back to Tupac’s time, because I was definitely listening to his music since my older brother and sister were into him. I especially remember the last couple of years of his life, which were chronicled in the book, and his tragic death. That was really sad.

This book was a sweet trip back to early adolescence and the friendships of that time. I like how strong the girls’ relationship with each other is. It doesn't have a happy ending since the girls eventually lose touch with D, but I appreciate that because it is more realistic and makes their longing for her more powerful. It's a feeling I can relate to in my life, having had friends move away and being the friend who moved away.

Professional Review

Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Feb. 1, 2008 (Vol. 104, No. 11))
The summer before D Foster’s real mama came and took her away, Tupac wasn’t dead yet. From this first line in her quiet, powerful novel, Woodson cycles backward through the events that lead to dual tragedies: a friend’s departure and a hero’s death. In a close-knit African American neighborhood in Queens, New York, the unnamed narrator lives across from her best friend, Neeka. Then D Foster wanders onto the block, and the three 11-year-old girls quickly become inseparable. Because readers know from the start where the plot is headed, the characters and the community form the focus here. A subplot about Neeka’s older brother, a gay man serving prison time after being framed for a hate crime, sometimes threatens to overwhelm the girls’ story. But Woodson balances the plotlines with subtle details, authentic language, and rich development. Beautifully capturing the girls’ passage from childhood to adolescence, this is a memorable, affecting novel about the sustaining power of love and friendship and each girl’s developing faith in her own Big Purpose. Grades 6-9
(PUBLISHER: G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2008.)

Engberg, G. (2008). [Review of the book After Tupac & D Foster by J. Woodson]. Booklist, 104(11). Retrieved from www.clcd.com

Ideas for Librarians

This book can be used in conjunction with some of Tupac Shakur’s lyrics and writings (Rated G versions, of course). We could explore some of the connections between the girls’ discussions of their “Big Purpose” and some of the themes of Shakur’s songs.

References

Woodson, J. (2008). After Tupac & D Foster. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons