LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET

Author Matt de la Peña and narrator Lizan Mitchell are a winning combination in this story of CJ, an African-American boy, and his nana as they take the bus after Sunday church. Mitchell inhabits both CJ and his grandma from the moment he pushes through the church doors and questions why they must take a rickety bus while others have cars. She replies, "We don't need a car; we have a bus that breathes fire." Mitchell's spirited recitation of "The bus lurched forward and stopped, lurched forward and stopped" ensures that young listeners can vividly imagine the action. Each of CJ's complaints is met with Nana's warmly rendered clever and fun alternatives. Audio is the ideal way for kids to experience this emotive gem. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, Newbery Medal 2016, ALA Youth Media Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2015]