Last Stop on Market Street

 Last Stop on Market Street Review 

by Kelly Hartman

BIBLIOGRAPHY

De la Peña, Matt. Last Stop on Market Street. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2015.  ISBN 9781338035230

PLOT SUMMARY

After church, CJ and his grandmother embark on a weekly bus trip across town; but CJ's negative attitude gives way for many teachable moments from grandmother. Disgruntled, CJ complains about everything from the rain to the lack of a car.  As CJ rides the bus, he interacts with many different people, and his grandmother uses those interactions to shift his attitude. When CJ closes his eyes and listens to the guitar player on the bus, he begins to change for the better.  On the last stop on Market Street, CJ and his grandmother arrive at their destination: a battered part of town.  In the midst of disrepair, CJ's grandmother helps him to see the good all around him.  In the end, CJ is glad that he traveled across town to serve people in a soup kitchen.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

From the very beginning, younger and older readers will identify with CJ's plight: traveling to a place that you'd rather not be. The familiarity of that common childhood experience is contrasted by the author's suspenseful hook: the reader is not sure of where CJ and grandmother are headed.  Symbolically, the bus becomes the "vehicle" for how grandmother would like CJ to see the world, appreciative of all people from all walks of life. While CJ spends time looking out of the window of the bus, his grandmother draws him back in to focus on the beauty that can be found right in front of him.

The illustrated weather reflects CJ's mood. The rainy beginning parallels CJ's downhearted feelings, just as the rainbow at the end of the story highlights his fresh outlook on the world. The text and illustrations merge in CJ's turning moment when he closes his eyes to outside distractions and allows the music to take him away.  In this double page spread, the illustrator uses simple shapes and vibrant colors to show that a brighter day is always within our reach, if we will choose to see it.

In this uplifting story, the reader is gently reminded that an abundant life is lived when we think less of ourselves and focus more on others.  

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS 

2016 Newbery Medal Winner 

2016 Caldecott Honor Book 

2016 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book

“Read it aloud to someone. The use of language to elicit questions, to spark imagination and to make us laugh is at its best when spoken,” said Newbery Medal Committee Chair Ernie J. Cox

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Review by Elizabeth Bush "CJ is a completely believable little guy in both his natural desire to set his own agenda and his tacit admission that doing good feels good. This is a lesson that goes down easy."

Booklist Review by Thom Barthelmess "The celebratory warmth is irresistible, offering a picture of community that resonates with harmony and diversity."

CONNECTIONS 

If you liked, Last Stop on Market Street, check out...

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts  ISBN-13 : 978-0763642846

Snow by Uri Shulevitz ISBN-13 : 978-0374468620

2016 Caldecott Winner and Honors 

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick  ISBN-13 : 978-0316324908

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews ISBN-13 : 978-1419714658

Waiting by Kevin Henkes ISBN-13 : 978-0062368430

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement ISBN-13 : 978-1536203257

Author Study...Gather more books by Matt de la Peña 

Miguel and the Grand Harmony  ISBN-13 : 978-1484781494

Love  ISBN-13 : 978-1524740917

Carmela Full of Wishes  ISBN-13 : 978-0399549045

La Ultima Parada de la Calle Market(Spanish Edition) ISBN-13 : 978-8484705499

TeachingBooks Resource 

Last Stop on Market Street 

Reference for Teaching Resources

TeachingBooks.net (n.d.) TeachingBooks | Last Stop on Market Street. Retrieved from https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=42323

School Library Journal Article 

More Picture Books That Celebrate #BlackJoy