Last Stop on Market Street

de la Peña, M., & Robinson, C. (2015). Last Stop on Market Street. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

(picture book, below grade level, independent [although, it may be nice to first do this as a teacher-led read aloud] )

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of a young African-American boy named CJ who goes for a bus ride after church across the city of San Francisco with his optimistic grandmother Nana. As they meet different kinds of people along the way, ranging from the bus driver to a musician with a guitar to a homeless person, Nana models kindness to everyone and makes sure that CJ shows kindness as well. She teaches him that there’s beauty everywhere around him, even in places that aren’t that obvious. For example, when they arrive at the last stop, they follow a homeless man and a disabled man to their final destination. Along the way, CJ asks why the street is so dirty. Nana responds by saying that by being around dirt, one is better able to appreciate the beauty around them. At the soup kitchen, they work as volunteers to serve soup.

This picture book, although meant for young readers, is still highly accessible for middle school readers and can provide good discussion topics. (Who says you can’t read picture books to fifth graders?) The illustrations are colorful and add vital details to the story. It is also great to see the main characters depicted as people of color. The text is very simple and reads naturally such that the reader does not feel like Nana is chastising or being patronizing towards CJ. Rather, she acts as a gentle mother or teacher figure who truly appreciates the world and life and wants to instill the same in CJ. This book is a great addition to this text set because it relates to the ideas of kindness to all, tolerance, and acceptance of others. Nana teaches CJ to see the beauty in others and to show appreciation for all that he has, even if it doesn’t seem like much. The illustrations and simpler text may actually help English learners or those struggling readers. For those living in San Francisco, it also provides a strong text-to-self connection.