Book Review #1-
Module 1- Last Stop on Market Street
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peña, M. D., Robinson, C., & Thomann, R.
(2015). Last Stop on Market
Street.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of
Penguin Group (USA).
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Last Stop on Market Street is a touching book that shares with us a look at the intimate guidance only a grandparent can provide. CJ and his grandma ride the bus every Sunday after church, and on this ride, CJ seems to notice all the things around him that he doesn’t have. Like many of us feel from time to time, CJ is envious of the people around him- why does he have to wait in the rain for the bus, while others have a warm car to keep them dry? Why do the boys on the bus get an ipod, if he doesn’t? How come it’s always so dirty at their bus stop? In each situation, his loving and admirable grandma points out the beauty in every situation and reminds him to be grateful for the simple pleasures life has to offer.
Last Stop on Market Street is a touching book that shares with us a look at the intimate guidance only a grandparent can provide. CJ and his grandma ride the bus every Sunday after church, and on this ride, CJ seems to notice all the things around him that he doesn’t have. Like many of us feel from time to time, CJ is envious of the people around him- why does he have to wait in the rain for the bus, while others have a warm car to keep them dry? Why do the boys on the bus get an ipod, if he doesn’t? How come it’s always so dirty at their bus stop? In each situation, his loving and admirable grandma points out the beauty in every situation and reminds him to be grateful for the simple pleasures life has to offer.
3.
CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
The most moving thing
I took from this book is that in every instant, in every situation, outside of
the material things that we can get so wrapped up in, there is beauty to behold
in those God-given moments. Matt de la Peña
dives right into this story, and we, the readers, are unsure of where he is
taking us at first. I love that, in the end, Nana and CJ land at a soup-kitchen
helping those who have even less than them. Through her journey, Nana teaches
us all that if we embrace each moment with kindness, generosity of spirit, and
a grateful heart, it can truly change our outlook on life.
The illustrations in
this book are vibrant and really draw the reader into the story, providing a
nice visual for each situation that Nana and CJ encounter. I particularly loved
when CJ closed his eyes and listened to the music, and the illustrations
suddenly changed to a blissful, whimsical scene. It provided the reader with a
thorough understanding of how he was feeling in that moment, in stark contrast
to the envy he felt moments before. I really enjoyed the bright colors and
saturated pages, leaving little blank space. I thought it really fit the mood
of the writing and complimented the cultural aspects of the story well.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
*Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal
*Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal
*A 2016
Caldecott Honor Book
*A 2016
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book
*A #1
New York Times Bestseller
*A New
York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015
*A Wall
Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2015
“Like
still waters, de la Peña and Robinson’s story runs deep. It finds beauty in
unexpected places, explores the difference between what’s fleeting and what
lasts, acknowledges inequality, and testifies to the love shared by an
African-American boy and his grandmother.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“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
“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
5.
CONNECTIONS
No comments:
Post a Comment