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Last Stop on Market Street
Last Stop on Market Street
Last Stop on Market Street
Audiobook8 minutes

Last Stop on Market Street

Written by Matt de la Peña

Narrated by Lizan Mitchell

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty-and fun-in their routine and the world around them.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 27, 2015
ISBN9781490684031
Last Stop on Market Street
Author

Matt de la Peña

The Living is Matt de la Peña’s fifth novel. He attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at San Diego State University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches creative writing. Look for Matt de la Peña’s other books, Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and I Will Save You, all available from Delacorte Press.

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Reviews for Last Stop on Market Street

Rating: 4.4723619262981575 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

597 ratings42 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When C.J. and his grandma wait in the rain and get on the bus, C.J. is grumbling the whole time– about not having a car, not having a device for listening to music, and having to do stuff that his friends don’t do. But at every turn, his nana sees goodness and kindness. Even C. J. is transported by the joys of music as a guy on the bus strums his guitar. When they finally get where they’re going (and readers don’t really know until the end), C. J asks, “How com it’s always so dirty over here?” Pointing to the rainbow, nana points out “Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, C J., you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful” (unp). In seeing familiar faces at the soup kitchen, where he and nana serve food, he admits he’s glad they came. Winner of the 2016 Newbery Award and Caldecott Honor, this uplifting picture book brings home a valuable message to young children, many of whom would identify with the protagonist.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    CJ and Nana learn a lot on their bus trip across town. Imaginations get to run wild and CJ learns to look for the pretty everywhere he goes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this tale of a boy and his nana leaving church then going to serve the community. Best line: "Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful." A good goal for the year, to be a better witness for what's beautiful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    On the bus ride from church to the soup kitchen CJ’s grandmother how to be happy with the thing that you have instead of wanting the things you don’t have and walk on the sunny side of life. As she puts it, “Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ, you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.”de la Peña’s simple story illustrating a profound truth about happiness is brightly colored by Robinson’s crisply lined illustrations, “created with acrylic paint, collage, and a bit of digital manipulation.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book has the prestigious honor of winning both the 2016 Caldecott honor and the 2016 Newbery medal.Many of us have a friend, or perhaps a relative who always, without fail, sees the negative side of life in all their interactions. These are the people who cannot look at the sun without waiting for the rain, who cannot be happy for what they have, instead, they want more, more, more. These are the people who complain about their job, forgetting that the one who is listening has heard this black tale regarding every job the moaner has ever had. Personally, as I grow older, I don't have this type of person in my life. Limitations of energy has a positive effect in teaching me that I need to be with those who are happy and radiate sunshine opposed to the energy drainers who suck the life out of me.C.J. is such a child, the black t shirt and pants kind of guy who is always, ever finding fault. He is the one who is envious of all -- the one who covets what others have while failing to see all he owns. The one who sees the dirt and not the bright rainbow.Luckily, C.J. has a loving, patient, kind grandmother who, without admonishment turns his black comments into gold. Throughout the story, C.J. laments his life, the fact that he has to ride a bus because his family doesn't own a car. For every complaint, his grandmother matches it with a positive statement.At the end of the book, we learn that the last stop on Market Street is a shelter where the poor are fed.As I closed the book, I wondered if the C.J.'s of the world, even when confronted with a different hopeful reality, can manage to get outside of their darkness. Optimistically, I sure do hope so.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    C.J.'s Nana always puts the best slant on everything and seems to bring out the best in those around her - but she's telling C.J. that what he wants isn't as important, valid, but also a bit Stockholm Syndrome-ish.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    diverse picture book (preschool and up/ages 3 ; neighborhoods/community).
    * Prominently features diverse characters: Yes! Besides the main characters (an African-American boy and his grandma), an ethnically, socioeconomically, and differently-abledly (one blind man on the bus, a man in a wheelchair on the sidewalk) diverse cast of people are encountered on their journey to the soup kitchen.
    * Good choice for preschool storytime: large, dynamic (Caldecott-winning) illustrations and a great (Newbery-winning) story.
    * Works for "Community" theme and "helping others" theme and "Neighborhoods" theme.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This realistic fiction is about a boy who rides the bus across town after church with his grandmother. He focused on what others have and what he and his grandmother don't have, like a car or an iPod. His grandmother points out all of the things that they would miss if they weren't on the bus. This book has many situations that almost everyone would be able to relate to.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a story about appreciating differences, happiness, and inequity. On Sundays after church, CJ and his Nana take the bus to its last stop on Market Street. CJ starts wondering why they have to wait in the rain, why they don't have a car, and why they always make this trip. This book is a great book for junior high students as it teaches them about the inequality and differences in the world. This could then motivate students to treat everyone fairly and be the difference you want to see in the world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The illustration covers almost all of both pages. The illustrations are what drew me to the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautiful! Matt DelaPena tells the story of CJ and his grandmother as they ride the bus on the way to the soup kitchen after church. On the bus, CJ asks his grandmother questions which she answers enabling him to see more than what he thinks he sees. Towards the end of the story CJ wonders how his grandmother finds the beauty in everything. A great story overall of finding joy in every day experiences.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Picture book about a boy riding the subway with his grandmother, meeting many kinds of people, and helping out in a soup kitchen. Very good.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cj questions his grandmother on my he cant have or do thing that other people do. She gives him a encouraging answer every time. He then questions how she can be so positive and admires that. This book is great when your introducing figurative language and has a lot of description words.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A young boy and his grandma take a bus ride to a soup kitchen after church. On the bus the boy sees people who are different from him, and his grandma explains what's going on. Her matter-of-fact way of speaking teaches the boy not to be wary of difference. This simple tale has a good lesson, and the illustrations are original. I like all the neat characters on the bus. This is a fresh book about the real world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    CJ and his grandmother leave church and head on to the bus toward the soup kitchen where they volunteer. Along the way, CJ wishes he had better material things (e.g., a car, an ipod) but his grandmother constantly reminds him to be grateful for what he has and, more importantly, how the simpler things have a beauty of their own.This is a great book about being a part of your community, from getting to know the people there to giving back. Through both text and illustrations, the pages of the books show a widely diverse cast across all kinds of factors (e.g., race, ability/disability, economic, etc.). The relationship between CJ and his grandmother was also nice to see.Personally, I don't like when books use a child's bad grammar; even though it means the dialogue is more realistic, I don't like reinforcing incorrect language. So I'm not a huge fan of CJ saying things like "how come they don't got ... " However, that is just a small quibble.The illustration style is very flat and not super realistic. I'm particularly fond of that either, but it works well enough with the story that I don't think it detracts too much from it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is simply lovely and simply complex in its direct treatment of so many real life issues. These medals are well-deserved and this book deserves a spot on everyone's shelf to be enjoyed and explored over many re-readings.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book encourages us to look for beauty around us, regardless of our circumstances. It could be a good prompt to discuss community and diversity. I admit I found the incorrect grammar to be distracting from the story, but the illustrations are fabulous and could spark quite a few discussions on their own!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book shows the many things you can see while ridding the bus which to the boy in the books seems annoying and boring when he wants to be in a car like his friends. He's grandmother brings to light these fun things while on the bus. They then finally make it to their destination which is a soup kitchen to help those in their community where he realizes that the things that seem boring and pointless aren't and you can also learn lessons from those situations.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena is a charming story of a little boy and his Nana as they ride through town to the last stop on the bus. We see the world through the innocent eyes of the young boy who will open your eyes as well. I am particularly attracted to illustrations in children's picture books and these by Christian Robinson are marvelous. I wish I could own the originals that look as if they were done in wash. A good choice for your children.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A little boy named CJ rides the bus every day with his grandma. He wonders why they don't have a car but grandma show's him the value in the things he has. he asks why they don't have some things and for every thing he asks grandma always has an answer making sure he knows how lucky he is o be himself. she show him how to find the beauty in simple things.Ages 4-6Pierce College Library
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A boy and his grandmother travel across the city by bus on a rainy day after church. Their destination is a soup kitchen in a poor section of town. The boy learns a few lessons along the way. The book is beautifully illustrated, and the story shows young readers positive things in negative circumstances. It teaches gratitude for the things we do have. The book received the Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor. The illustrations are remarkable. The story can be enjoyed by younger children but is probably an advanced second grade or early third grade level book vocabulary-wise.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed the book “Last stop on Market Street” by Matt De la Penta for a few reasons. The first reason I liked this book is that it really captured the child’s innocence. In the book the child, CJ, would ask questions to his grandma like “Why do we have to go to the soup kitchen after church, my friends don’t have to go somewhere.” It shows that in the beginning of the story CJ is naive and doesn’t really understand why he does these things when his friends don’t have to do that but then in the end CJ states how he “really likes doing this” and it just shows how he grows as a person. Another thing I liked about this book was the illustrations and how much they played a role in the story. To capture the full meaning of what the text was saying you had to look at the illustrations. For example, when CJ and his grandmother were riding on the bus two older boys came onto the bus and CJ just said “sure wish I had one of those.” The boys in the illustration were carrying IPods with headphones listening to music but without looking at the picture of the boys, there would have been no way to know what CJ was talking about. The illustrations played a key role in understanding the text which I liked. Another part of the illustrations I liked was the amount of diversity on the bus ride. There were musicians, people with tattoos, a blind man, and old and young people. It’s important for children to see and read about diversity in books so they can either relate or learn about others people’s differences and embrace them. The message of the story was good too because it can resonate to adults as well as children. The book really shows the power of giving back to the community when you can. CJ and his grandmother weren’t as wealthy as some of CJ’s friends but they always made sure to help others who were less fortunate than them which I think is an important lesson. Everyone should help others and give back where they can.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This seemingly simple book carries a big message. It is a message of appreciating what you have, and finding the joy and beauty in your surroundings and in others. The illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to the story. They are simple, colorful, and add to the meaning and message of this picture book.This book would be good in a unit on family and family relationships. It would be good to read around Thanksgiving, or any other time when gratitude is at the forefront of a unit. This book would fit well in an urban school setting in which we have students who need a "mirror" of their lives.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Last Stop on Market Street was awarded the 2016 Newbery Medal, the 2016 Caldecott Medal, as well as numerous other honors. Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandmother take the bus to the last stop on Market Street. This rainy Sunday, CJ wonders why they don't have a car, why he can't have a music player and why the city always seems so dirty where they are going. His grandmother helps him to see the beauty in the everyday things they encounter until CJ realizes he is happy to be there. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good book with an important message for young children. I'm just still not convinced that it deserved the Newbery Award after all of the other wonderful books that were written in 2015. I get it - the content of many picture books doesn't convey concepts that are this important for that Kindergarten through Grade 2 set, and the Caldecott is an illustrator and not an author award. But for me, it was not the best children's book of 2015 and also would probably not fall in my top 10 picture books (hmmm, maybe I'll have to make a list.)All of that aside, it is an enjoyable book and if you like picture books, it is certainly worth the 5 minutes that it takes to read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Last stop on Market Street is a very detailed picture book which catches the readers attention. I really liked several part of the book, but i would have to brag on the pictures that were presented. I would recommend this book to a 1st grade teacher as a way to start an activity or to catch the students' attention. I would love to do an activity on this book in the future with my students',
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book very much. The storyline was written from the perspective of the main character named CJ. In the story he talks about riding the city bus with his grandmother. The language of the book was enjoyable because it reminded me of my grandparents. Throughout the book CJ notices things in other peoples’ lives and asks his grandmother questions about them. One example is in the beginning of the story while they are waiting for the bus, CJ asks his grandmother why his fiend has a car and they don’t. She replied “why do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire…” In that quote the use of AAVE made it relatable to me and my family’s culture because we use this form of speaking. The purpose of the book is that instead of looking at the things that you don’t have, we should be grateful for the things that we do have.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am very glad that I read this book, mainly because of the perspective it brings. First, I get to see a city through an impoverished boy's eyes. Through dialect and illustrations, the character is made real and the reader wants to hear his voice, even in a 3rd person point of view. The illustrations show a cartoon-like representation of the city and its people, highlighting their differences. In a scene on the bus, there are people that differ by age, race, abilities, gender, etc., another factor with which the reader is captivated. The other perspective that it brings is through the boy's nana. When the boy is feeling negatively about his life, she adds an optimistic viewpoint of their world. For example, the boy asks "Nana, how come we don't got a car?" and she replies "Boy, what do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire, and old Mr. Dennis, who always has a trick for you." The big idea is that there is beauty and joy surrounding us in all situations; we just have to look for it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Honored by Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King, this book was recommended to me when I was at my local store picking up a few other books for a friend's children. I read it, and loved the messages. Not only does it promote racial harmony, it promotes human harmony.
    Some of the messages:
    The rain falls on everyone.
    You don't need things to be happy.
    There is beauty everywhere- in everyone and everything.
    Music unites.
    Give to others, even if you don't have much yourself.
    Everyone is different, and that's okay.
    Give up your seat to someone who needs it more than you.
    Volunteer to help others.
    See each person as an individual- everyone has something unique to teach.
    Grandmas are the best.
    I don't normally read children's books, as my kids are grown. But I think I may start reading them more often. You can learn a lot from a kid's book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    After church on Sunday, C.J. and his grandmother ride the bus to the last stop on Market Street. C.J. wonders why they don't have a car like his friend, Colby, or why he can't have an iPod like a couple of the older boys on the bus. C.J.'s nana helps him to see things differently by enjoying what he has instead of wishing for what he doesn't have. C.J.'s nana is a wise woman. Through her example, C.J.'s nana is teaching C.J. the value of intangible things like music, color, and laughter. I've often seen churches use the motto “come in to worship, go out to serve”. This book beautifully and sensitively illustrates “going out to serve.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A boy and his nana ride the bus to the end of Market Street to the soup kitchen, along the way encountering different people on the bus.