Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt De La Pena and illustrated by Christian Robinson, is a picture book. Vibrantly illustrated, it tells the story of a young boy and his grandmother (aka Nana) leaving church and traveling across town by bus. It is a sweet story that highlights a positive younger-older generation relationship; it is also shares a lesson about finding beauty in life and in small things.
This book was the winner of the 2016 Newbery Award. Although it was a sweet book, it did not strike this reviewer as a stand-out book that should be on every young person’s to-read list. The Compass Book Ratings’ age scale starts at nine, but this book would be fine for readers younger than nine.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: None
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Economic disparity.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
