A Storytime to Remember: Students Meet Award-Winning Author Matt de la Peña

“I was a pretty average student,” said award-winning author Matt de la Peña. 

Sharing artwork from his children’s book Last Stop on Market Street, Matt explained to dozens of Birch Family Services students about how his experiences as the child of immigrants and struggling with school and reading led to him being a bestselling author.

Thanks to the generous support of the Aaron Judge All Rise Foundation, our students enjoyed this special story time experience with Matt as part of a virtual author visit, which gave students the opportunity to view photos, illustrations, and behind-the-scenes images from the book and Matt’s life, as well as a special conversation with the author himself. 

Written in 2015, the children’s book follows a young Black-American boy named CJ as he accompanies his grandmother, Nana, on a city bus to volunteer at a soup kitchen. Matt read excerpts of his book to our students after sharing his details about his life and upbringing. After the reading, students were able to interact with him and ask him questions. 

“CJ and Nana are nice because they smile and help people,” said Pelham Bay Early Childhood Center student Prince. 

“Nana takes care of CJ just like my grandma takes care of me,” said Pelham Bay Early Childhood Center student Harper.  

We extend our deepest thanks to Matt de la Peña for his generosity and to the All Rise Foundation for making this unforgettable moment possible. Opportunities like these not only promote literacy — they help bring stories to life and remind our students that they, too, have stories worth telling.