Spring 2019, Wild Readers 5 discussion

For my Newbery award winning novel I chose to read “The Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt De La Pena which won the medal in 2016. Even though this novel is for children it really struck my interest and one day I will definitely have this novel in my classroom and utilize it during a read aloud. Often times children get caught up in what everyone else is doing and perceive themselves through the lives of their peers, this book is a nice reminder to enjoy the life you live and the things and people that surround you. This book although very short, and extremely sweet follows the story of a boy named CJ and his grandmother on their journey home from school on the bus all the way to the soup kitchen where they go every day. CJ wonders why he has to go there all the time, and why he has to ride the bus when his friends ride in cars but at the end of the story and each scenario he finds appreciation for his surroundings and acquaintances. I relate to CJ when it comes to looking at my life through the lens of other people. Nowadays it is so easy for us to compare ourselves and wonder why some people are “more fortunate” than us. When in reality, if we just stopped to appreciate what we have and what we get to experience through life we might be a lot more happy with ourselves and our lives. All in all, I think this book does a great job of looking for the little things we can enjoy in what may seem negative at our first impression and celebrating the diversities of life.