Last Stop on Market Street

Bought this book to read to my daughters, ages 6 and soon to be 2. I like the story immensely, as it illustrates to them that not everyone is as economically fortunate as we are, but are still loved and are good people. What I don't like is the author's decision that we need to take all grammar and throw it out the window. It wasn't a problem for me to fix the language on the fly when I was reading it to my girls, but when my 6 year old went to read it on her own, she couldn't figure out the language. Why am I teaching my kids horrible grammar?

Matt de la Pena has crafted a picture book that appears to be quite simple and yet is surprisingly deep. On the surface, it is just a boy and his grandmother, spending the day going somewhere. The discontented child wants to know why they are in the rain, why they have to take the bus, and why he doesn't have fancy electronics. The wise grandmother gives simple answers about what there is to appreciate about each circumstance.
What I love about the story is the dialogue between to the two main characters sounds like a dialogue between a person's ego and his higher self. The ego is unhappy (naturally) and the higher self responds with love and appreciation for 'what is.' It is pure universal wisdom. Ultimately, the last stop is a homeless shelter, where they arrive to volunteer. The boy learns to see his grandmother can find the beauty in anything, everywhere - and the journey takes them to a place where they can serve. Ah, beautiful.
The cheerful, childlike illustrations keep the focus on what's important: the here and now. The art is a combination of acrylic paint and collage - a palette reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats, "A Snowy Day." Also similar to "A Snowy Day", the main character is a low-income, African-American boy of about 5 years in age. The story celebrates cultural diversity and delivers an elegant moral: economic poverty does not have to mean spiritual poverty.

While the message of this book is well taken, I cannot excuse its shortcomings. It’s cute, inspired (but not inspiring) and full of grammatical errors that feed stereotypes that should be solved, not modeled for children. I cannot for the life of me understand why people find this book so compelling.

It is hard to believe that this book got even some of the praise given it by Professional Reviewers. What are they thinking? Yes, the story has a good point and lesson, but... As one parent mentioned, if one is reading it outloud TO a child, one can change the wording, but... I worked for many years tutoring children in poor school districts. To massacre English is a great disservice to those who need to learn proper English most. Really poor idea.

My 5 yo son loved this book. We live in rural America yet my husband and I were raised in urban areas. The one thing we miss is being exposed to the diversity of people and cultures that larger communities offer. Often my children shun these subtle to introduce to these things but not this book.

Reading the negative reviews saddened me. Like other commenters have said, there's also a lesson about teaching children that people speak differently and being tolerant of those with less education or different ways of speaking than ourselves. Also, there's plenty of mainstream children's books that I've read through the years that use incorrect grammar. If it still bothers you, then read the book how you'd like your child to hear it. I often read books and change the words (I don't like using the word secret because we don't keep secrets from one another in our family....only surprises) but it doesn't make me discount the rest of the book.

Lastly, it's not stereotyping when using images and experiences from one's own culture and experience. It's only stereotyping one writes about someone else's culture and experience (so "what do you know about stereotyping")

And if you think this grandmother and her grandson are eating in the soup kitchen then you've lost the message and need to read it again. You are the reason why this book is important.

This book depicts a grandmother and grandson. They speak English that is grammatically incorrect in terms of traditional English, and the grandma is teaching the boy to, essentially, see the beauty in his economically impoverished life. This is a great message, to put emotional riches over tangible ones. Here is the problem in my view: it could too easily be seen as "be OK with social injustice, child" As too many black Americans live in poverty due to generational social injustice, I believe this message is a dangerous one for black and white kids alike...

Picture books are designed to be equal parts text and art--where both come together to create something bigger and better than the sum of its parts. Few picture books today achieve that goal; most focus primarily on the art and that one joke/surprise at the end. Enter LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. This picture book is the perfect example of what a picture book should be. The beautifully-written and poignant text by Matt de la Pena and the evocative illustrations by Christian Robinson (which remind me of my great love for Ezra Jack Keats' art) capture a world few picture books enter (but should). While de la Pena is better known for his YA books, I hope he continues creating picture books that elevate the format. Congrats to author and illustrator.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and illustrated by Christian Robinson.was completed by quite the award winning team, and this book is going to be sporting many impressive award stickers.

Last Stop on Market Street won the Newbery Medal this year, the best children's book, AND it also won a Caldecott Honor for the best illustrations. This kidlit picture book won other awards including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and to be honest I think it deserves all of these awards.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Last Stop on Market Street is a great story with beautiful paper collage pictures. I loved the message it taught, and there were phrases and statements I loved, Like Nana saying, "Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."

I'm not sure I can say much negative about this book. I enjoyed it, and enjoyed the need to infer; older readers and teachers will appreciate the higher reading comprehension needed, but the younger teachers will enjoy how simple and universal this story is. The main reason Last Stop on Market Street did not get a perfect 5 star rating is b/c it just didn't wow me. It's a great read and story, but I don't feel a strong need or desire to purchase this book for my personal library. However, schools and public libraries alike need this book.

I have enjoyed that Last Stop on Market Street has brought about great conversations with my toddler and preschooler about what a Soup Kitchen is and how it helps people as well as the reason why they think we should be riding buses far more often.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and my kids have as well. I think this book makes a great read aloud for parents, teachers, and librarians alike. Toddlers, preschoolers, and up to 2nd grade would be the ideal audience for this book, but elementary school aged kids in general could benefit by the art, excellent writing, and the message.

For more book reviews check my blog: alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com

Last Stop On Market Street is one of those beautiful books that seem to make a lasting impression. I immediately wanted to read this book over from my first reading. I wanted to catch those little tidbits that sometimes you miss from a first read.

I could relate having to ride a bus and wondering, like CJ, why I did not have another means and why I did not have certain things. However, the Grandmother in the book was very wise and saw things in such a different way that me, the reader, saw through her eyes too. The author made you feel like you were traveling along with them and participating in the environment.

Nearing the end of the book, I felt saddened because it seemed like these two had circumstances beyond them. However, the twist was surprising and lovely too. Of course, I will not spoil it but only encourage you to purchase a copy for yourself.

The illustrations are bold and colorful. Again, I was immersed into the book because of the writing but the illustrations as well. They were real and I loved them!

This book is by far the 5 stars I will give it. Don't believe me? Then let the awards this book one stand for its testament.

Disclosure: I was gifted this book by a friend and was honored that she had the book signed for me by the author.
~M.M. aka Naila

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandmother get on the bus and ride it across town. None of CJ's friends do this. On the ride CJ wonders why they don't have a car like his friend Colby. Or an iPod like other boys on the bus. CJ wonders why they have to ride the bus all the way to the dirty part of town. Grandma answers each question thoughtfully as she reminds CJ that sometimes a journey is more important than the destination in Last Stop on Market Street (2015) by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson.

Last Stop on Market Street is de la Peña's first picture book.

Brightly colored illustrations from Robinson make this book pop from the cover through to the last page. Robinson's bold, blocky style helps pictures pop--even from a distance if reading this to a group--and draws the reader's eye across each spread.

De la Peña has an ear for dialogue which comes across in CJ's authentic conversations with his grandmother wondering about all the cool (to CJ) things that they lack. While I was surprised to see CJ's diction was never corrected when he asked "how come we don't got a car?" it did feel like a real kid talking throughout the story.

CJ's grandmother reminds him to be grateful for little things (like an exciting bus, a guitarist on the bus who plays a song, and so on) while the pair rides across town to their final destination--a soup kitchen where CJ and his grandmother volunteer.

Last Stop on Market Street is a fun story with enough text (and surprises) to make it a great choice for older picture book readers. Discussion points and Robinson's artwork also make it a great choice to read to a group. Hopefully the first of many picture books to come from de la Peña!

Last stop on market street, poetically written by Matt De La Peña and vibrantly illustrated using both acrylics and collage, shares a snippet of a young boy’s day that begins as he skips down the church steps, his nana following closely behind and ends, well, I won’t tell you how it ends. The story is as much about the journey, a bus ride in which CJ and his nana engage with the many and diverse people riding with them, as it is about the last stop on Market Street. This book beautifully represents the diversity and multiculturalism of a city neighborhood, the curiosity of a young child, the love of a grandmother, and the importance of kindness. It is no wonder Last Stop on Market Street won the Newbery Award, and received both a Caldecott honor and Coretta Scott King honor.

Our former nanny turned school teacher purchased this for my 22 month old. I figured it would be a good future read. She doesn't have a great attention span but does love books. This was one of her first non-boardbooks. This is an awesome, awesome story. I enjoyed every page, every illustration and got teary at the end when I realized they were volunteering at a soup kitchen.

Much to my surprise, I realized at the end my daughter had made it through every single page. It has turned into her favorite book and she is coaxed to bed with CJ and Nana and Trixie with her new red hat. We linger at the soup kitchen page and we use it as a find it book. I actually came back to the store thinking it might be a series and she wants to know more about CJ, Colby, Miguel. And I want to, too. This book should last through the ages, instilling charity, economic disparity and yet sameness in our children who will someday lead this country.

Please write more, Matt. We are captive. (And at some point, we are stealing it out of the little one's room to get it into the 5 year old's room...if she will let us!)

There are terrific messages inside this book. I loved the way Nana shared her world with CJ, never preaching to him but showing him that there is something besides what you see on the outside. That you should judge something just by looking at it but you should discover more about that person or that item for everyone has a story or is more exciting than you think. She was patient person and she gave of herself. I also enjoyed the illustrations of the book, they showed lots of diversity and I loved the rich language the author used. The author strung words together to paint wonderful pictures in my mind as I read. Bright colors filled the pages with black font made this a wonderful storybook.

As CJ is ushered out of church one Sunday with his Nana, he is tired of the same routine and as his voice echoes his complaints; his Nana shows him that the world around him is more than just what he sees. CJ wants what other individuals have and he is tired of same routine every Sunday. He does not everything and as child, he does not understand why he cannot have the few things that he wants. Nana personality is friendly and warm as they make their way to their destination. The destination is half the fun as Nana enjoys showing CJ interesting people and items along the way. Trees and buses are not just everyday items in her world for she makes them come alive and fun for CJ. CJ is all ears as he takes in everything Nana is sharing and he offers questions and comments along the way. CJ’s horizon is expanding. By listening to Nana, he begins to realize that what they do have works for them. It fits their lifestyle and it’s perfect for them. As they finally reach their destination, having viewed the streets along this path in a new light, CJ has a new outlook on his life and beauty has a new definition. 4.5 stars

Superb story and very well presented! I'm disappointed so many reviewers missed the intent by focusing on what they referred to as "poor grammar." In addition to the empathy this story evokes, the promotion of positive familial relationships, the respect for community, and the message of helping others, this author uses language to subtly remind us that our perceptions of "correct" and "incorrect" grammar are subjective. The language used by these characters is not a flaw; rather, it enriches and reflects their experience. This text serves to remind us that we should not be judged or judge others by our own perceptions of appropriate sentence structure. There's so much more here to uncover...Read between the lines of this beautiful text! Follow what CJ and his grandma do and you'll fall in love with this rich story.

The drawings and paintings in Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Peña with art by Christian Robinson, give the impression of being simple at first glance. However, they are childlike to synchronize with the young boy CJ’s story of going places with his grandmother. There is a great deal of movement in the story both from the literal and metaphorical point of view. “The outside air smelled like freedom,” alluding to CJ being released from confinement, possibly having to sit still during church, next to Nana. The pictures follow the narrative very clearly except on two occasions which I will mention later. Brilliant colors are used and even in the rain, there is hope in the images. However, the bus is not old as the words would indicate: “creaked,” “sighed,” “sagged” and I never have seen a bus driver that would give a child a coin or play a trick of finding one behind his ear but I understand how the author is utilizing the bus ride to introduce unconscious (now made conscious) symbols from African American history. Older adults reading the story to a child will comprehend the reference “They sat up front.” [Rosa Parks sat up front] “…butterflies in a jar.” [The People Could Fly wherein African American slaves got their freedom through escape as the butterflies will upon release from the jar.] CJ gives up his seat to a blind man. The man, CJ and Nana discuss ways of seeing. [The song Amazing Grace which was sung all through the Civil Rights Era and all the way back to times of slavery talks about being “blind but now I see.”]

The older boys who get on the bus do not look like boys and the picture shows them sharing an ipod with an ear bud each. In the narrative, CJ wishes for “one of those,” but one has to actually see the picture to know what CJ wants which is strange to me because blindness was just discussed. Later the blind man and Nana both close their eyes to listen to live music played by a guitar player on the bus.
Now as CJ is lost in sound, he sees the “butterflies dancing free.” Music gives one magic. Nana wishes for CJ to give the musician the coin from the bus driver’s coin trick and CJ drops it in the musician’s hat.Here the message is strong: give to someone who has less than you, give money for someone’s creative song and music playing. “Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ, you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.” In other words, it will take more effort to find beauty, but look to the sky for it. There appears a rainbow over the soup kitchen where Nana and CJ are going to volunteer. The graffiti on the wall looks rather nice and acceptable in this rendition “One Love,” once again referencing a song that an older adult would be familiar with, the reggae song by Bob Marley advocating love and peace and oneness of humanity with each other.

The last discrepancy I discovered were that in spite of mention of stray-cat shadows, in the picture, there were none. Otherwise, the message and the medium keep tightly to the author and illustrator’s story which is full of beauty and kindness.

-Sybil Blazej-Yee, Children's Librarian, an artist and a dog walker

Last Stop on Market Street (Hardcover)
by Matt de la Pena
on Tor books list of books to teach about differences and diversity. A young boy has to go on a trip with his grandmother after church every week. He complains, and fusses like all children. But grandmother has something to show him about the real world. She shows him the differences and how to accept and appreciate them. That music should be played my musicians not headphones. That kindness is in the simple acts of strangers, and that the soup kitchen she volunteers in has a lot to teach him. A great story of community, changing perspective and learning value.

This book has won every literary award offered in the kid's category. Newberry, Caldecort, New York Times Best seller and Wall Street Journal. You kinda get the hint that this is a book that should be in a kid's library. Third grade and above would be my recommendation. So why don't you and your kids/and or students take a ride through town and enjoy the sights and sounds of all the diverse encounters they will meet along the way.

I'm disappointed in this book. I thought the illustrations were very well done and the over all message was a good one, but there wasn't anything particularly outstanding about it. It certainly wasn't Newbery worthy. I didn't object to the grammar - in fact it sounds like what a little boy would actually say, but I thought some of the writing was self-consciously arty and not very natural.
One type of children's book that hardly ever gets a Newbery award is non-fiction. It's past time for one. As for this - I don't think it will stand the test of time.

This book won the 2016 Newbery Medal, the Loretta Scott King Honor, and the Caldecott honor for 2016. So, this is one of the most awarded books in recent years, which by itself should make you want to get your hands on it.

But not only that this book is a story picture book for children on the youngest end of the Newbery spectrum, which also makes this book unique. In recent years the Newbery committee has taken some criticism for choosing books consistently for the medal that were for older kids and that younger children would not be able to read these books. But this book is certainly for everyone to read regardless of age, but I think younger children especially will love this book.

The message is powerful about envy within economic and racial settings. I found the characters to be rich and wonderful for such a short book.

I think the Newbery Committee had been looking for a book like this for a long time to award the Newbery Medal, and this one is exceptional.

Get this book.

We borrowed this book from the library. We enjoyed the illustrations and the moral of the story. It is an uplifting book. I did not give it five stars because I did not like the poor grammar of the little boy. It surprised me at first and struck me as stereotyping. I used it as a teaching moment for my six year old. I asked my son to tell me the proper wording of a sentence when we would come to a sentence that was poorly worded.

I bought this book because the cover reminded me of myself living in the city as a child taking public transportation with my mother. Some reviewers citizised this book for having grammatical errors however, I thought it gave the story a more realistic feel. I'm sorry if it's sterotypical but if you've ever heard an African American grandmother talk I feel it often sounds a lot like the way Nana talks in the story. So perhaps this book it's good in the way of being grammatically correct but it has a positive message that needs to be heard especially for today's youth.

My son and I both delighted in this Newbery-winning tale of CJ and his grandmother's bus ride one Sunday after church. CJ doesn't understand why they have to take the bus instead of riding in a car. His grandmother answers all of his questions and points out the value of the bus ride. I had assumed they were on their way home, but not so. Their journey leads them to a soup kitchen, where they serve lunch every Sunday.

I wanted to read this book with my son because it highlights economic differences, and I thought it would be a good conversation starter. It was! But it not only allowed me to discuss why some people don't have cars; I was able to discuss poverty and service with my son as well.

I loved the poetic, although not rhyming, language in this book as well. And CJ speaks very colloquially, which was very authentic. This book is a wonderful picture book for all ages, but I especially enjoyed it because it brought up deeper topics which make picture books more valuable when reading with my almost 6 year old.
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There are some people on here that gave this book a bad review because of the "bad" grammar. I think the fact that they missed the point of this book is astounding. This is based on a lower social class people and the fact that they speak in a less socially acceptable, less educated way of speaking is rightfully correct. The boy and the grandmother are not going to speak high English, so therefore the authors need to convey and speak the way that they should speak.

I read this book at the library because I was bored and curious and was extremely glad that I picked it up. It's inspiring and made me cry on the job! It has a great message to see things not for their bad image but of what they could become to something great.

A beautiful book about being grateful for what you have and finding the beautiful everywhere around you. This was a beautiful book that was suggested by a fellow homeschooling friend. I'm so glad that we borrowed it. It's going on our Christmas list to purchase. This was such a sweet way to plant a seed in a child to be a positive influence and to truly love thy neighbor.

Couldn't even finish it. I invest valuable time in my son's grammar and education. Why would I want a book that undermines that? The grandmother is also very dismissive of her grandson constantly addresses him as "boy." This just felt wrong.

We received this book from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. CJ and Nana learn a lot on their bus trip across town. Imaginations run wild and CJ learns to look for the pretty wherever he goes. Might be a little too advanced for my 3 year old we will try again when attention span is better.

I borrowed this book from our local library and ready it to my almost 5-year old and she also read parts of it out loud. I think the message is great. Many have questioned why the grandmother did not correct the child's grammar, but believe that was also part of the lesson, she saw beauty in his words in spite of the it not being perfect. She appreciated that while his speech needed brushing up, he was still speaking out and asking questions. There are many children who stay silent because they feel inadequate from others constantly correcting how they speak. I really enjoyed the story and I think more than how the story ended, the message was the beauty the grandmother saw in CJ.

A wonderful story beautifully told. As I read along I thought the little boy and his grandma were on their long way home, but it turns out to be something quite different. It's such a good story for children to learn about helping the less fortunate. Great illustrations, too.

A story of love; CJ's Nana opens his eyes to the beauty of his world. She has a knack for knowing just what to say to get him thinking. With extremely visual language and memorably sweet illustrations, Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson have created a story to cherish. Worthy of the Newbery Medal; the story shines.

Full review here:
http://readitrealgood.com/2015/12/31/last-stop-on-market-street/

My son loves this book. For me as a parent, i find that the topic is tackled too seriously for a 3.5 year old. But maybe it’s just wanting to shelter my son
The book talks about social inequality . But i think this is a great introduction on the realities of life

This is a great book that uses the city as a character. The book is written from the point of view of CJ a young African American boy who can't understand why he does not have the things everyone else has. The "unfairness" of poverty to a child. My book "Tyronne Carter Kid Scientist also comes from the point of view of a poor African American child but in a more lighthearted way that shows a child already starting to surmount poverty using humor, reading, and science.Tyronne Carter Kid Scientist

Good lessons in the story... HORRIBLE grammar. I need to translate this book on the fly as I read it. Each night when I read it I think to myself "I need to give this a review."

Examples:
"How come we gotta..."
"...how come we don't got a car?"
"...never have to go nowhere"
"...what do you know about seeing? Nana told him (that mark at the end of the sentence is for a question, not a statement)

I would prefer to teach my children how to speak correctly. Like I said, there are good morals to the story but there is no excuse for perpetuating ignorance in language.

A beautiful and inspiring story about seeing the beauty around you, and being thankful for all that you have. Stunning art alongside poetic natural language. I love it as much as my four-year-old daughter does.

Last Stop on Market Street is more than it seems. Yes, a kid and his grandma take a ride on a bus and this story is about that ride. But along the way, he learns so much more: about need vs. want; about the "blessing" of disability; about the diversity of people in his (our) world; about giving back to others. This books has allowed me to have great conversations with my daughter about all of those things, and talk specifically about our local food bank's work and the work of our shelters in town.

This book won multiple awards from the American Library Association this year, and some of them I just really don't get. Mostly it's the Newbery Medal, which has pretty much always gone to a book of at least more than 50 mostly-text pages. This is just a standard 32 page picture book, with a few lines of text per page. Not a compelling and fully-developed story like past winners, such as "The Graveyard Book" or "The Higher Power of Lucky." There's been criticism that Newbery books are too hard for kids, but this award shoots off in the opposite direction.

I can agree with the awarding of a Caldecott honor, and actually prefer this book over the actual winner for the year. The artwork emulates a child's own drawings, bit with just a bit more polish. It's relate-able, and would likely inspire your own little ones to give illustrating their favorite stories a try. Similarly, I can completely support the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. The artwork is just fun, looking simultaneously childlike and well-polished.

The story irks me a bit, living in the Bay area. It falls victim to that over-romanticizing of the City. Magic-trick-performing bus drivers, guitarists showing superiority over mp3 players, and street art that overcomes the more dingy neighborhoods. It feels like an idealized City which you only find in books and movies. Having lived in the City for a while, it just feels off.

Will your kids mind? Probably not. I'd say check the book out from the library, but I doubt your little ones will clamber for you to purchase it outright. All the honors it won this year are about the art of the book, and not really about if it's enjoyable.

I do not like reading books to my young children that use incorrect grammar and speech. I am of the camp of what you put in (good literature, proper grammar, etc.) Is what you get out. I found myself correcting the language written as I read aloud because I did not want my children thinking that is how to speak. Not for us...

Quietly, powerful and deeply beautiful book about a grandmother gently guiding her grandson on how to see and assist the world of urban poverty. The city is presented in all its multicultural and multi-abled splendor, too, with African American main characters and supporting characters of many colors and abilities. An elementary school book -- though it would make a great book for an adult discussion as well. Masterful.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson is simply beautiful. After reading it for the first time, I knew it was something I wanted to share with my 3 year old. It's a gentle and poetic reminder for us to look for the good and appreciate the simple beauties that this world has to offer.

This magnificent book points out that important things can be enjoyed by many people regardless of how much or how little money they have. The story reveals the tender and priceless relationship between the child and his grandmother; the story shows that the invaluable things the child and his grandmother are experiencing have required almost no expenditure but have involved, instead, the thoughtful attention of each person to the other. C.J. and his grandmother may have significantly more of the important things than many people who have far more financial resources.

Frankly I was disappointed that a Picture book won an award which is usually reserved for YA content and audience. In this simplistic story there is no drama or conflict: a Black grandmother and her grandson travel by bus after Church to eat at a soup kitchen in a shabby neighborhood. Although CJ complains about everything his wise Nana manages to find beauty and be grateful for the small pleasures in life. For beauty lies in the eye and heart of the beholders—even in a dingy city. A secondary unstated theme is that we should value the lessons shared by our elderly relatives. For example: kindness to our neighbors (including strangers) and acceptance of one's limited circumstances. Cartoonish illustrations accompany this gentle tale--to which city kids can easily relate.

Meh--the illustrations are stylized and nice, but not great. The story is good enough. The poor grammar, which I altered every time I read the book to my kid, knocks it from 3.5 to 2.5 stars. It does not feel natural to me to read the original grammatically incorrect text aloud. It doesn't help the flow of the words.

Editing to add that after reading other's reviews I do understand there is a purpose to the language but I found the grandmother's voice even more awkward than that child's. I think the language stereotypes on top of the others spoiled the experience for me. Poor people finding beauty in simple things is a bit too cliche here.

I'm disappointed as I was expecting more from an award-winning book.

Amazing book!!!!! It touched my heart & left me in tears. Thank you, Matt De La Pena, for writing this wonderful book. Just read it to my 6 yr old daughter & can't wait to read it to my 1st grade class.

the store, I appreciate the details you give regarding children's books, and everything else for that matter. But specifically, the reading preview you provide!! This is fantastic! THANK YOU, KIMBERLY - (Grandma?)

Great, important message, but I was SO disappointed to read such bad grammar ( "Nana, how come we don't got a car;" "Miguel and Colby never have to go nowhere" etc) from the child protagonist. While people certainly speak that way, I would never read this to my child as written as I wouldn't want to encourage her to speak that way. I think the author could've opted for correct grammar and remained true to the spirit and message of the book. For me, it's just a distraction. I also thought it was perhaps a bit too subtle. There is no overt discussion of the fact that they are at a soup kitchen, the circumstances of the clientele etc. Glad we read it, but it won't be a staple for us.

This book has so much potential. I love the premise and the story line. I love that CJ and his Nana are taking the bus to go do something positive in the community. This is huge. I also love the diverse cast of characters and the idea that we should see beauty everywhere. I like that the characters' interaction with each other is positive. Now for what I don't like about it:

Frankly, I'm disappointed this book got so many accolades. This idea that Black people are incapable of using correct English when speaking needs to go away forever. "How come we don't got a car?" is not a sentence. "They never go nowhere," is also not a correct sentence. That so many people who praised this book chose to overlook something so important is alarming. This is a children's book. Why in the world would we want to repeat grammatically incorrect sentences to our children? So they can learn the incorrect way to speak?

Another thing that troubled me: the use of the word "boy" to address CJ by his Nana. "Boy" is a derogatory term that has been used far too long to reference African-American males, and Nana uses it - twice! "Boy, what do we need a car for?" "Boy, what do you know about seeing things?"

It's baffling to me that all these accolades - all these people giving the book their highest praises and honors, and no one caught this. Or maybe they already had the preconceived notion that this is an acceptable way to speak to children, and that Black people cannot form a correct sentence anyway, so they didn't care?

I gave this book 4 stars. Here's why: I like the illustrations, I like the story line. When I read it out loud to my son I change the grammar so that the sentence structure is correct and I take out the use of that annoying word "boy."

This is a nice children's book with a vital message of choosing to see positivity and to connect with the people around you. I find the colloquial, childish grammar distracting, but it certainly adds "flavor," and it is character-appropriate and perhaps draws children who speak that way. The illustrations are charming and communicative - perhaps even Caldecot-award-level as granted. I'm truly puzzled, though, as to how this is the most recent Newbery winner - How does it claim the prize for THE most distinguished children's literature of the year in the face of so many superlative choices? Definitely worthy of your bookshelf for children, though.

While I feel the intentions of this children's book were well meaning, I was very disappointed to learn that it won the Newbury award. Yes, it speaks of finding beauty in your surroundings, it's multi-cultural and speaks well of people with disabilities. What I find hard to swallow is the poor language. Just because you come from low economics, doesn't mean you need to be uneducated or speak improperly. Don't we want our children to hear the correct way to speak and write, especially through books? I realize culture plays a huge role in this, but in 2016, let's abolish the stereo types! If I were reading this to a young child, I would have trouble reading the story as it is written.

I bought this book for my granddaughter and will be returning it. I'm stunned that it received the Newbery for 2016 as I see none of the richness of text that typifies award winning books. Not only that, but the bad grammer was a real turn off. The book is filled with stereotypes...an "old woman in curlers," for example. Why must older people be depicted in such disrespectful ways?

The grandmother seems rude and abrupt with CJ. When a blind man sits down on the bus across from them, CJ asks, "why can't that man see?" The grandmother's response to CJ, "what do you know about seeing" was demeaning. I would have liked to see a longer story with more depth, exploring the characters and their lifestyle and their relationships.

The book ends with CJ and Nana having a meal in a soup kitchen. I realize the author is trying to explore people of color, poverty and homelessness, but the book falls way short of providing meaning, insight, and a memorable story. For unforgetable reading on those issues, try "Something Beautiful" or "Sounder."

I could not read this book to my child without correcting the English. I think it is offensive to teach or imply to my daughter that low income individuals, urban communities, or other ethnic groups cannot speak grammatically correct.

This book contains every stereotype that I can think of--broken English, bad neighborhoods, old buses, and the list goes on.
Additionally, the 'nana' sounds demeaning and abrupt. She does not stop to give the child a meaningful and thoughtful answer; just a bunch of one liners. I would not read this book to children to elevate their sense of gratitude or sense of self. There are far more positive ways in books to convey that message.

This is being returned.

We live in the Bay Area and I bought this for my 5 year old son. I love the concept - SF has such a massive wealth divide and it is great to remind him that people are different.

Maybe I'm being short-sighted, but I just can't bring myself to read it to him. The English, spoken by the boy, is terrible and I don't want my son to pick up such bad habits.
"Nana, how come we don't got a car?"
and
"Miguel and Colby never have to go nowhere".

Maybe it is representative of the way such a child would speak however I don't think it teaches kids a good lesson. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

While the message in the book is a good one, I couldn't get past the first couple of pages when the little boy was speaking. As others have stated, I found the inclusion of intentionally poor grammar unacceptable in a children's book aimed at this age range. Yes, as many have pointed out, Mark Twain (and other classic authors) used poor grammar by a main character. However, the difference is the intended audience. Mark Twain's books are aimed at a higher reading level- a level at which the reader has already learned basic English and is able to recognize poor grammar and distinguish it from correct grammar. At the age range this book is aimed at (my daughter is 3 years old, for example), children are still learning how to speak basic English and confusing them with slang is akin to letting them eat ice cream for dinner. No, we do not speak like university professors at our house. But I do work in a professional environment and the number of reports, presentations, etc that I've come across lately that were confusing or simply incomprehensible has been increasing. Children need to learn that there is a correct way to speak, and that needs to be taught first, before moving on to more complex subjects such as regional dialects, slang, etc. I would not read "Huckleberry Finn" to my daughter, and I will not be reading her this book, either.

Not my favorite.. Yes seeing the beauty in things is important.. But I'm not about to send my two kids the message that when nana takes you to a dark and dirty place be looking for the beauty. Good idea but the story line misses the mark..

I bought this book without much scrutiny based on the NPR profile and the fact that it reflected an experience that my son has frequently been through with his grandmother. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that in reading this book to my son, I would have to either translate the dialogue into correct English, or fill my son's impressionable mind with grammatically incorrect and frequently nonsensical sentences. I don't think there's a place in children's literature for this kind of crap; there's nothing cultural or "black" or "urban" about bad English; it's just a sign of ignorance and lack of educational opportunities. I'll go through the trouble to send this book back just to get out of circulation; I wouldn't even want to give it to Goodwill.

I generally like books that teach empathy and strong values. However, I didn't like that the main characters have no choice but to accept their conditions. In my opinion, it makes the characters less effective as role models. Also, there are so many other good books out there that teach kids similar values without the risk of stereotyping one group of kids and alienating another.

Worst children's book I have read to date. Just because one is poor and going to eat in a soup kitchen is no excuse for incomplete sentences and poor use of the English language/grammar. I was embarrassed to read this to my three year old who speaks better than this is written. I'm glad I didn't pay money for this and that we could quickly return it to the library where apparently my tax dollars were wasted. I cannot and will not recommend this book to anyone. It has an interesting message, but that message is lost because it is so poorly written (on purpose I assume which makes it doubly insulting).

I am very disappointed that this is the Newbery winner for 2016 and won't be using this list as a reference anymore. Someone is out of touch with excellent Young Adult literature. Maybe it's time to update the rubric so that next year's selection makes more sense.

I just purchased this book at a book fair at my son's pre-school. My son picked it out himself and he was excited for me to read it to him. When I began to read the book, I had to stop on the 3rd page. When I read the sentence, "How come we have to wait for the bus in all this wet?" I knew something was not right about the wording. As the story goes on, the grammar gets worse so rather than reading the words as they were printed, I used the pictures and told my own story. This whole book is grammatically incorrect and what annoys me is the fact that this book has received so much praise. I do not understand why this book has won awards and why it has received positive reviews considering the fact that the main character, CJ, sounds like an uneducated little boy. Not all people of color speak Ebonics or "Ghetto". By printing a book like this, it perpetuates negative stereo-types of children of color. The author, (Mr. Pena) should write books using grammatically correct verbiage regardless of the ethnicity of the characters because he can still get his point across without making the characters seem so ignorant.

As a teacher I find the grammar in this book atrocious. There are so many wonderful books to read aloud to children. Why would anyone waste their time reading this one aloud or worse, want their children or students to read it? I can't believe this boom won the Newberry award.

I returned the copy because the cover was not as advertised. None of the medal awards shown on the advertised dust jacket were included in the copy I received. I collect award-winning children's books so this dust jacket feature was critical for my needs.