First published 2010
Bobby stares at his newborn daughter with her perfect face and tiny hands. She depends on him completely, and part of him wants to run to his mother's room for help. But that won't happen. At sixteen, Bobby was a typical urban teenager who cared about school, parties, and friends. Then Nia told him she was pregnant on his birthday. Everything changed. Doctor visits replaced hanging out. A social worker tells them adoption is their only path to a normal life. Bobby faces an impossible choice. He must decide what doing the right thing means when becoming a father at sixteen. The decision will cost him no matter what he chooses. Johnson tells this story from the male perspective, showing how one young man navigates an unplanned pregnancy and the weight of sudden responsibility.
Genres: fiction, family-life, african-american, contemporary, adolescence, adoption
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, teenage-pregnancy
Setting: Urban
Period: 21st-century
144 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers