De la Peña himself did not realize his love for reading until college, and during his Newbery Medal acceptance speech, described his desire to expose kids to “the magic of books at a younger age.” He pondered, “What if I can write a story that offers that tough, hoodied kid in the back of the auditorium a secret place to feel?” He now strives to make these kids visible through his writing, as he was once one of them. As a teenager, de la Peña realized how students were constantly grouped by their social class and race, creating a “forgotten group” of kids from marginalized backgrounds who were not expected or encouraged to succeed. The book ends with CJ and Nana working at a soup kitchen.ĭe la Peña’s experiences growing up with a white mother and first generation Mexican American father in the border town of National City, California, informed his writing of this book. After encountering a blind man and witnessing two boys with iPods a man plays a song on his guitar, causing CJ to finally feel true beauty. Later, the bus pulls up outside of them and CJ, along with his Nana, walks up to the front seat. When they arrive at the bus stop, CJ witnesses his friend, Colby, riding home in a car with his father and asks his Nana why they do not have a car. As they walk to a bus stop, CJ asks Nana why they have to walk in the rain, and Nana replies that trees, too, need water.
The book begins with the pair exiting a church during a rainstorm. This illustrated children’s book follows a young African-American boy named CJ as he accompanies his grandmother, (nicknamed Nana) on the city bus to volunteer at a soup kitchen. In 2018, the children's book was adapted into a children's musical which has been performed by various children's theater groups across the country. Last Stop on Market Street's Newbery win was monumental, as it is extremely rare for picture books to be awarded this medal. Last Stop on Market Street was met with widespread acclaim after its release, receiving positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews and the New York Times Book Review amongst many others.
Through its story and illustrations, Last Stop on Market Street tackles issues of race and class as they may be seen through the eyes of a young teen. De la Peña and Robinson both drew on personal experiences when working together to create the book. The book follows a young boy named CJ as he learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things during a bus ride. Last Stop on Market Street is a 2015 children's book written by American author Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, which won the 2016 Newbery Medal, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and a Caldecott Honor.
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