Last Stop on Market Street

Last Stop on Market Street
By Matt de la Pena
Illustrated by Christian Robinson

This book is about a little boy named CJ and his Nana.  It takes place on a Sunday afternoon after church.  CJ and his Nana ride the bus every Sunday afternoon.  On this day CJ asks his Nana a lot of questions about why things are the way they are.  He wishes his life were more like his friends and neighbors and tries to understand why they are different.  Nana helps CJ see how lucky he is to have the experiences he has in his life and to see life from a different perspective.
This book would be interesting to students because it shows how everyone has different experiences in life.  What matters is your perspective and how you look at the things you get to do.  I think readers of all ages can connect to this message on some level.  This book takes into consideration that people have different socioeconomic statuses and needs and would lead to great conversation about how all students have different backgrounds.  I think this book would be a great read aloud for any age level to discuss how people are alike and different and to help students recognize the needs and struggles of those less fortunate than them.

Last Stop on Market Street book talk