Last Stop On Market Street                                

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/fK5AaH85Bv0
Credits: iMovie & Flickr

By: Matt De La Pena

Illustration: Christina Robinson

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pena, Matt De La, and Christian Robinson. Last Stop on Market Street. New York: Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780399257742

PLOT SUMMARY

C.J. and his Nana set off on a journey of discovery. C.J. has many questions for his Nana as she opens his eyes to the beauty of their world, even though they may live in they bad part of town. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Matt De La Pena tells the story of a young boy and his Nana and their life in the inner city. To bring his book to life, he uses the life experiences of Nana to answer the young curious child. Each question C.J. has for his Nana is met with positive encouragement and enlightenment. 

Christian Robinson does a beautiful job illustrating the setting of C.J. and his Nana on their adventure. He uses vibrant colors to illustrate life in the city. One of my favorite pages is when C.J. raises his hands up in the air and realizes this world is a beautiful place. Robinson uses bright colors to illustrate C.J.'s happiness.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

* Newbery Medal - 2016

* Caldecott Honor Book - 2016

* Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book - 2016

* A #1 New York Times Bestseller

* Finalist for the 2014 E.B. White Read-aloud Book Award

* A Winter 2014-2015 Kids’ Indie Next Pick

* “That material poverty need not mean spiritual or imaginative poverty becomes beautifully clear in the quietly moving in the pages of Last Stop on Market Street.” – The Wall Street Journal

* “The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner… A lovely title.” — School Library Journal

CONNECTIONS

Activities to use with this book:

* Character traits of C.J. and his Nana, create a Venn diagram and discuss their similarities and differences.

* Discuss how C.J. changed from the beginning of the book to the end and give examples.

* Sequencing activity - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and discuss.

Book Connections:

* Ball Don't Lie - ISBN 978-0385734257

* Mexican WhiteBoy - ISBN - 978-0440239383

* Blog created for the purpose of TWU, Children's Literature Course #5603, and for the love of reading!