Longing

This book shows the many things you can see while ridding the bus which to the boy in the books seems annoying and boring when he wants to be in a car like his friends. He's grandmother brings to light these fun things while on the bus. They then finally make it to their destination which is a soup kitchen to help those in their community where he realizes that the things that seem boring and pointless aren't and you can also learn lessons from those situations.

A young boy and his grandma take a bus ride to a soup kitchen after church. On the bus the boy sees people who are different from him, and his grandma explains what's going on. Her matter-of-fact way of speaking teaches the boy not to be wary of difference. This simple tale has a good lesson, and the illustrations are original. I like all the neat characters on the bus. This is a fresh book about the real world.

Honored by Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King, this book was recommended to me when I was at my local store picking up a few other books for a friend's children. I read it, and loved the messages. Not only does it promote racial harmony, it promotes human harmony.
Some of the messages:
The rain falls on everyone.
You don't need things to be happy.
There is beauty everywhere- in everyone and everything.
Music unites.
Give to others, even if you don't have much yourself.
Everyone is different, and that's okay.
Give up your seat to someone who needs it more than you.
Volunteer to help others.
See each person as an individual- everyone has something unique to teach.
Grandmas are the best.
I don't normally read children's books, as my kids are grown. But I think I may start reading them more often. You can learn a lot from a kid's book.

A good story that will be great for discussion at story times in libraries and at home. Complimentary illustrations enhance the text. BUT, Newbery Award, I don't think so. There had to be a better choice for this prestigious award. If the committee was looking for a more accessible choice for young children than perhaps they should have joined the Caldecott committee and awarded Finding Winnie, both medals.

Last Stop on Market Street was awarded the 2016 Newbery Medal, the 2016 Caldecott Medal, as well as numerous other honors. Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandmother take the bus to the last stop on Market Street. This rainy Sunday, CJ wonders why they don't have a car, why he can't have a music player and why the city always seems so dirty where they are going. His grandmother helps him to see the beauty in the everyday things they encounter until CJ realizes he is happy to be there. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good book with an important message for young children. I'm just still not convinced that it deserved the Newbery Award after all of the other wonderful books that were written in 2015. I get it - the content of many picture books doesn't convey concepts that are this important for that Kindergarten through Grade 2 set, and the Caldecott is an illustrator and not an author award. But for me, it was not the best children's book of 2015 and also would probably not fall in my top 10 picture books (hmmm, maybe I'll have to make a list.)All of that aside, it is an enjoyable book and if you like picture books, it is certainly worth the 5 minutes that it takes to read it.

A little boy named CJ rides the bus every day with his grandma. He wonders why they don't have a car but grandma show's him the value in the things he has. he asks why they don't have some things and for every thing he asks grandma always has an answer making sure he knows how lucky he is o be himself. she show him how to find the beauty in simple things.Ages 4-6Pierce College Library

Learning to look around and see what is there -

Beautiful! Matt DelaPena tells the story of CJ and his grandmother as they ride the bus on the way to the soup kitchen after church. On the bus, CJ asks his grandmother questions which she answers enabling him to see more than what he thinks he sees. Towards the end of the story CJ wonders how his grandmother finds the beauty in everything. A great story overall of finding joy in every day experiences.

This seemingly simple book carries a big message. It is a message of appreciating what you have, and finding the joy and beauty in your surroundings and in others. The illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to the story. They are simple, colorful, and add to the meaning and message of this picture book.This book would be good in a unit on family and family relationships. It would be good to read around Thanksgiving, or any other time when gratitude is at the forefront of a unit. This book would fit well in an urban school setting in which we have students who need a "mirror" of their lives.

Widowed Alexander moves with his young daughter to one of his estates in Wales. The town is based on a mine owned by Alexander. In searching for a governess for his daughter, Alexander meets widowed Sian Jones, who was educated well beyond the miners around her. Sian is the illegitimate daughter of a nearby mine owner, but her father cast her out when she refused to marry Alexander's overseer, Josiah Barnes. Sian went back to her mother's people, the Welsh mining town, and has spent years trying to fit in. After her husband died, she went to work in the mine to help her grandparents, and miscarried as a result of the hard labor. Alexander is shocked at the poverty of the town, but he feels too ignorant to begin making the changes that his overseer says will drive the mine out of business. A political movement, the Chartists, is being hidden by the town; Alexander stumbles on a secret meeting and is sympathetic but concerned about the political unrest he believes will result. And the Chartists are forcing all the men to join their group, even conscientious objectors such as Sian's young brother-in-law. Those who object are whipped, and sometimes their homes are destroyed. Alexander and Sian are drawn to each other, but Sian has accepted the proposal of Owen Parry, a leader of the Chartists. Alexander is under suspicion by the town, but he tries to make some minor changes to make life better for them. The other mine owners and Josiah Barnes all fight him, and Josiah also is plotting revenge against Sian. This results in Sian being whipped as a traitor, although she told Alexander nothing. She realizes that Owen participated in the whipping, since he was the leader, although he tried to mitigate the punishment. That is the final end to their engagement, as it becomes apparent he would have been rather a bully to her, although he is truly convinced of his rightness. Eventually there is a march by many miners all over Wales, which Sian is forced to join. Alexander goes after her, but finds her in the middle of a massacre; Owen defends her with his life. This is one of the author's best books, a story of difficult love, class warfare, complicated relationships, and reconciliation.

I am very glad that I read this book, mainly because of the perspective it brings. First, I get to see a city through an impoverished boy's eyes. Through dialect and illustrations, the character is made real and the reader wants to hear his voice, even in a 3rd person point of view. The illustrations show a cartoon-like representation of the city and its people, highlighting their differences. In a scene on the bus, there are people that differ by age, race, abilities, gender, etc., another factor with which the reader is captivated. The other perspective that it brings is through the boy's nana. When the boy is feeling negatively about his life, she adds an optimistic viewpoint of their world. For example, the boy asks "Nana, how come we don't got a car?" and she replies "Boy, what do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire, and old Mr. Dennis, who always has a trick for you." The big idea is that there is beauty and joy surrounding us in all situations; we just have to look for it.

This sweet book talks about a boy and his grandmother who take the bus to the food shelf. The boy wants all of these materialistic things but his grandmother reminds him that the world is more beautiful without all of that stuff. This book is very eye opening to children and even to adults. The illustrations are pencil coloring and portray the city well. I would use this in a classroom to teach diversity and the many hardships in the world. But I would also encourage them to appreciate what they have in life. Try to take a field trip to do some volunteering.

Unhappy that he and his Nana have to take the bus after church - why don't they have a car, he wonders? - young CJ delivers a litany of complaints, only to be answered time and again with his grandmother's wise observations about the beauty of the world around them. After a brief moment of epiphany while listening to a musician on the bus, CJ comes to himself and disembarks. He and Nana have arrived at their destination: a soup kitchen where they volunteer.A much-discussed book, Last Stop On Market Street is a title with many admirable qualities. The artwork, which approximates a child's own drawing style, ably complements the text, and was worthy of the Caldecott Honor it won. The story itself presents a number of noble ideas, from the importance of courtesy to one's elders and to the disabled, to the valuing of the intangibles of experience over material possessions. Service to others, in the form of CJ and Nana's involvement at the soup kitchen, is also emphasized. But although I appreciated Christian Robinson's artwork, and was in sympathy with the didactic project being undertaken by Matt de la Peña - the idea of finding beauty in blasted landscapes reminds me of William Carlos Williams' poetry - I cannot say that this title really deserved the Newbery Medal it was awarded. I wasn't put off by the colloquial language that some have decried - this is dialogue, after all, and literature is replete with colloquial language that doesn't meet the more stringent requirements of grammatically 'correct' speech - but I also wasn't convinced that the writing here was so skilled, so "distinguished," that this could be considered the best-written book published for children in 2015. Despite its good qualities, I wouldn't even described this as the best-written picture-book of 2015. An odd, odd choice on the part of the award committee. I can't help but feel that they wanted to be ground-breaking, and put that desire before any objective analysis.

C.J.'s Nana always puts the best slant on everything and seems to bring out the best in those around her - but she's telling C.J. that what he wants isn't as important, valid, but also a bit Stockholm Syndrome-ish.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena is a charming story of a little boy and his Nana as they ride through town to the last stop on the bus. We see the world through the innocent eyes of the young boy who will open your eyes as well. I am particularly attracted to illustrations in children's picture books and these by Christian Robinson are marvelous. I wish I could own the originals that look as if they were done in wash. A good choice for your children.

I enjoyed this book very much. The storyline was written from the perspective of the main character named CJ. In the story he talks about riding the city bus with his grandmother. The language of the book was enjoyable because it reminded me of my grandparents. Throughout the book CJ notices things in other peoples’ lives and asks his grandmother questions about them. One example is in the beginning of the story while they are waiting for the bus, CJ asks his grandmother why his fiend has a car and they don’t. She replied “why do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire…” In that quote the use of AAVE made it relatable to me and my family’s culture because we use this form of speaking. The purpose of the book is that instead of looking at the things that you don’t have, we should be grateful for the things that we do have.

I really enjoyed the book “Last stop on Market Street” by Matt De la Penta for a few reasons. The first reason I liked this book is that it really captured the child’s innocence. In the book the child, CJ, would ask questions to his grandma like “Why do we have to go to the soup kitchen after church, my friends don’t have to go somewhere.” It shows that in the beginning of the story CJ is naive and doesn’t really understand why he does these things when his friends don’t have to do that but then in the end CJ states how he “really likes doing this” and it just shows how he grows as a person. Another thing I liked about this book was the illustrations and how much they played a role in the story. To capture the full meaning of what the text was saying you had to look at the illustrations. For example, when CJ and his grandmother were riding on the bus two older boys came onto the bus and CJ just said “sure wish I had one of those.” The boys in the illustration were carrying IPods with headphones listening to music but without looking at the picture of the boys, there would have been no way to know what CJ was talking about. The illustrations played a key role in understanding the text which I liked. Another part of the illustrations I liked was the amount of diversity on the bus ride. There were musicians, people with tattoos, a blind man, and old and young people. It’s important for children to see and read about diversity in books so they can either relate or learn about others people’s differences and embrace them. The message of the story was good too because it can resonate to adults as well as children. The book really shows the power of giving back to the community when you can. CJ and his grandmother weren’t as wealthy as some of CJ’s friends but they always made sure to help others who were less fortunate than them which I think is an important lesson. Everyone should help others and give back where they can.

Last stop on Market Street is a very detailed picture book which catches the readers attention. I really liked several part of the book, but i would have to brag on the pictures that were presented. I would recommend this book to a 1st grade teacher as a way to start an activity or to catch the students' attention. I would love to do an activity on this book in the future with my students',

This realistic fiction is about a boy who rides the bus across town after church with his grandmother. He focused on what others have and what he and his grandmother don't have, like a car or an iPod. His grandmother points out all of the things that they would miss if they weren't on the bus. This book has many situations that almost everyone would be able to relate to.

Book is about a young boy and his Nana who take a bus to help out at a soup kitchen. During the trip, the little boy asks his grandmother a million questions. He asked her why a man was blind, why the streets were dirty etc. He nana makes him see the beauty in the world.

A boy and his grandmother travel across the city by bus on a rainy day after church. Their destination is a soup kitchen in a poor section of town. The boy learns a few lessons along the way. The book is beautifully illustrated, and the story shows young readers positive things in negative circumstances. It teaches gratitude for the things we do have. The book received the Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor. The illustrations are remarkable. The story can be enjoyed by younger children but is probably an advanced second grade or early third grade level book vocabulary-wise.

A boy and his nana ride the bus to the end of Market Street to the soup kitchen, along the way encountering different people on the bus.

Beautiful story Hero and heroine were complex. They were well matched and each was like able as individuals and their struggles made them believable and worth caring about.

After church on Sunday, C.J. and his grandmother ride the bus to the last stop on Market Street. C.J. wonders why they don't have a car like his friend, Colby, or why he can't have an iPod like a couple of the older boys on the bus. C.J.'s nana helps him to see things differently by enjoying what he has instead of wishing for what he doesn't have. C.J.'s nana is a wise woman. Through her example, C.J.'s nana is teaching C.J. the value of intangible things like music, color, and laughter. I've often seen churches use the motto “come in to worship, go out to serve”. This book beautifully and sensitively illustrates “going out to serve.”

I really enjoyed this book! One of my favorite features in this story was the language used throughout the text as well as the language CJ and his Nana exchange in conversation. For example, on pages 3 and 4 Nana responds to CJ by saying, "Trees get thirsty, too... Don't you see that big one drinking from a straw?" Obviously, trees don't drink from straws, but CJ's Nana makes up a little fib for him to believe- to quiet him down and get him thinking. I know that my grandmother used to do this same thing to me! I would always ask so many questions that didn't really need to be asked. I think the characters and the language the author uses between the two of them is very believable and works perfectly with the story intended to be told. In saying this, although the characters are not real people, the author describes them and their interactions very humanistically. When CJ and his Nana encounter a person with a visual impairment. CJ's Nana makes it a point that CJ doesn't judge this man or make any assumptions based on how he looks. It's a moving book if you think about the many themes that it has. Really the only negative I found in the story was the complexity of some of the interpretations that could be drawn from the text. But in the end I found the big idea or message to be that even if/ when you may not be struggling yourself, it is still so important to give back and do charitable/ helpful things for other struggling people.

CJ and his grandmother leave church and head on to the bus toward the soup kitchen where they volunteer. Along the way, CJ wishes he had better material things (e.g., a car, an ipod) but his grandmother constantly reminds him to be grateful for what he has and, more importantly, how the simpler things have a beauty of their own.This is a great book about being a part of your community, from getting to know the people there to giving back. Through both text and illustrations, the pages of the books show a widely diverse cast across all kinds of factors (e.g., race, ability/disability, economic, etc.). The relationship between CJ and his grandmother was also nice to see.Personally, I don't like when books use a child's bad grammar; even though it means the dialogue is more realistic, I don't like reinforcing incorrect language. So I'm not a huge fan of CJ saying things like "how come they don't got ... " However, that is just a small quibble.The illustration style is very flat and not super realistic. I'm particularly fond of that either, but it works well enough with the story that I don't think it detracts too much from it.

This is simply lovely and simply complex in its direct treatment of so many real life issues. These medals are well-deserved and this book deserves a spot on everyone's shelf to be enjoyed and explored over many re-readings.

My first experience with this author met with an unfortunate dead-end, the book being abandoned due to irritating sniping and relationship interactions that drove me up a wall. So it was with a smidge of hesitation that I embarked on another work by Balogh. Yet, the pretty cover (yes, I’m a cover slut!), the intriguing story premise surrounding the romance, and the author’s reputation made me decide to give another go here. Paid off in spades!First off, I tip my hat to Balogh in her efforts to give us a fascinating historical background to go with her romance and plot. She excels in both atmospheric details and incorporating actual history into the tale. I could viscerally picture the settings in my head: the Gothic type castle architecture of Alex’s home, the smoke rising over the Welsh hills from the ironworks and mines, and the wild beauty of those same majestic peaks. Then there are the details of the Chartist movement incorporated into the story, with actual people, meetings, and marches woven throughout to give historical weight.I really enjoyed our leads in this one. Their personalities felt balanced with both good and bad qualities, giving them a 3D feel not often felt in historical romances. I liked Sian’s stubbornness, strength of will, and soft, caring inner core. She was comfortable in her own skin and wasn’t afraid to break her own trail in life by the end. She wanted to fit into her mother’s community but wouldn’t squeeze into a preconceived mold to do so; I admired her for that.Alex’s sweet and sensitive nature was a nice departure from your usual romantic hero. Now don’t think that makes him a soft touch and a wimp; by the end, he got macho when he needed to and showed people what’s what. Yet, I liked that his first inclination wasn’t to huff and puff to show his masculinity; his preference for compromise and working with people to meet a mutual goal was an incredible show of maturity and again, being comfortable in his own skin.I loved their interactions and romance. With the right balance of sexual tension and heightened emotion, it kept me flipping page by page till the very end. I really liked that the author stayed away from the interaction model she used in the previous book I read by her. There wasn’t a constant exchange of sniping remarks and bantering; this relationship had more depth and sweetness that I enjoyed. I found myself more emotionally engaged by this book than I usually get, enough that I finished in a marathon session lasting till 1AM.I also appreciate the role that sex played in this book. The scenes were utilized as something that moves the story or character development forward. Nothing was used as fluff or fan service; every encounter had a reason for occurring or had a lovely sense of spontaneity that drew me further into the relationship rather than disengaging from excessive porn. I liked that weightiness.This book redeemed Balogh for me. I enjoyed every aspect: the different historical factors in the book, the characters, the main relationship, and the utilization of sex in the narrative. I had to finish the book in one last rush read-a-thon since I just couldn’t tear myself away from the story. I highly recommend this book to fellow historical romance lovers; it’ll be a tale that you’ll want to put real life on the back burner for.

This is a story about appreciating differences, happiness, and inequity. On Sundays after church, CJ and his Nana take the bus to its last stop on Market Street. CJ starts wondering why they have to wait in the rain, why they don't have a car, and why they always make this trip. This book is a great book for junior high students as it teaches them about the inequality and differences in the world. This could then motivate students to treat everyone fairly and be the difference you want to see in the world.

I usually enjoy stories that break from the norm of historical romance, and Longing is just such a book, exhibiting a number of unique qualities. The typical Victorian romance would probably be set in England amidst the backdrop of ton balls and house parties, but Longing is set in a small industrial village in Wales. Although the hero owns a large, ornate castle, very little of the action takes place there, and except for a couple of brief afternoon teas, none of the usual social trappings occur. The majority of scenes take place in the humble confines of the town of Cwmbran (Coom-bran), and better yet, the beautiful hills surrounding it. The heroine has a stunning voice and competes in a music festival, which surrounded by the loveliness of the hills, kind of reminded me of The Sound of Music. I really felt like Mary Balogh captured the allure of the land and the culture of the proud people of Wales. Longing also has a strong historical element, detailing the Chartist Movement, the first and largest organized labor movement of its kind, which was meant to bring about political and social reform particularly for the workers in mining and industry. I can see how these topics might not be very exciting to some readers, but since I've always had an interest in politics and social issues, it was rather intriguing to me. The author even included a couple of the real-life organizers of the movement as characters. I really liked how the author took a middle-of-the-road stance, showing the good and bad on both sides of the issue. Of course, there were mine owners who didn't want to give the workers basic rights and better pay for fear of loosing profits, but there were also those among the Welsh, known as Scotch Cattle, who attempted to strong-arm anyone who refused to follow their cause by terrorizing them. Overall, Longing was a very different sort of historical romance and in many ways that was a good thing.I must say that the book was very aptly titled, because nearly everyone in the story, particularly the hero and heroine, experiences a deep longing or Hireath in the Gaelic language. Mary Balogh has a slightly different writing style than what I'm used to, almost what I might call a more literary style. There are certain elements in her prose, such as some repetition, which in other hands would probably annoy me, but Ms. Balogh's writing has a very lyrical quality to it which draws out the feelings of yearning so that the reader can palpably sense them. Admittedly though, this also gave the story a rather languid pace, when at times, I would have preferred for things to move a bit faster. I'm a big fan of love-overcomes-all stories, but this one just took a little too long to get there for me. The hero and heroine pine for each other and for the things they believe they cannot have right up until the last few pages. When taken in the proper historical context, I can't exactly fault them for waiting so long, and in the meantime their interactions were very tender and sweet. One of my favorite scenes was after the music festival when they were crossing back over the mountain and took a moment to revel in the simple, quiet pleasure of each other's company. Ms. Balogh may have a more subdued method for conveying emotion, but I found it to still be pretty powerful nonetheless.Sian was the illegitimate daughter of an English aristocrat who had been raised in relative luxury compared to how she lives at the beginning of the story. She is cramped into one small house with her grandparents and widowed uncle, and after the death of her husband, has also braved the hardships of working in the coal mines. Sian is a woman who is caught between two worlds, not feeling like she completely belongs in either one, but striving hard to be accepted by her mother's people. Then Alex, the owner of the mine and ironworks, comes to town and shakes up her well-ordered world by offering her a position as governess to his young, vivacious daughter, which she eventually accepts because a part of her misses that easier life. Sian was a pretty stubborn lady which at times served her well by giving her incredible strength to endure extreme difficulties and stand up to those who would bully her. At other times, her obstinacy was somewhat annoying, particularly when she kept insisting to herself that she could never be a part of Alex's world and therefore belonged with another man. Overall though, I understood Sian's actions most of the time and had to admit having respect for her even when she was making choices that I probably wouldn't have.Alexander inherited the village of Cwmbran and all it's industry from an uncle who had no heirs. Previously, Alex had lived a quiet life on a rural estate in England, and when he comes to Wales for a change of pace, he doesn't really know anything about running a mine and ironworks but is determined to learn. He is an idealist who truly believes in mercy and justice, and is very open-minded to the plight of his workers. He wants to help them better their lives, but on a much smaller, more local scale than most of the Welsh people are hoping for, so he is constantly running up against stubborn opposition to his ideas, both from them and from other mine owners in neighboring valleys. Alex also takes his responsibility to his workers very seriously with the obligation weighing quite heavily on his shoulders. I really admired his commitment to social justice and change and his determination to keep going even though he sometimes felt like it would be easier and everyone would be happier if he just went back to England. Alex was a very sensitive, gentle man especially with Sian and his daughter, Verity. He was much more of a beta hero, in my opinion, although he did have a bit of an alpha protective streak, but was very controlled in meting out punishment. He was also a fabulous hands-on father. The only thing that bothered me slightly about Alex was that he offered more than once to make Sian his mistress, but I thought the author did a good job of showing that he was merely a product of the era and social station into which he was born. It was abundantly clear that he loved Sian to distraction, and I do believe that if it wasn't for the social strictures of the time, he would have had her down the aisle in a heartbeat. Overall, Alex was a very appealing hero, and I'm not sure I could have resisted the way Sian did even when he was only offering for her to be his mistress.The main thing in this story that wasn't really my cup of tea was the unexpected love triangle between Alex, Sian and Owen, a Welsh ironworker who had been courting Sian for a while before Alex came to town. I'm simply not fond of love triangles in general, but this was something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I felt that the scenes with Sian and Owen at the beginning took away time that she could have been spending with Alex, and I also felt that Sian was perhaps giving up a little too easily by accepting second best. On the other hand though, I grudgingly concede that it did add a lot to the conflict and the sense of “longing.” This whole part of the story was very complex with Owen not being quite what he seems in the beginning, but also never quite being the villain either in spite of him doing some pretty bad things with which I strongly disagreed. This being the case, my feelings surrounding the love triangle element were pretty complex as well. In some ways, Sian's back and forth between Alex and Owen frustrated me even though I knew her feelings for each of them was very different, yet at the same time, I understood it in a way as well.In spite of a few elements which I normally don't care for, Longing was a fairly pleasant read. It was something of a Cinderella tale, but with much more realism than the average fairy tale type story. Because of it's uniqueness, it managed to feed a different part of my brain than some other romances, while still being equally enjoyable. Longing was my first read by Mary Balogh, and even though I've seen some mediocre ratings for it, this book turned out to be a good choice for me. I've heard many favorable things about Ms. Balogh as an author, so I look forward to checking out more of her books soon.