My inspiration for Bus Route to Boston: I grew up on a bus route in Everett, Massachusetts. As a young girl, I remember frequent Saturday bus trips, which traveled down our street, through crowded neighborhoods, over the bridge, then all the way into Boston. My mother, sister and I went bargain hunting in Filene's Basement, enjoyed ice cream at Bailey's, shopped for vegetables at Haymarket and ventured into the Northend for pizza and cannoli. Through my story and paintings I have shared these warm childhood memories of Boston. BUS ROUTE TO BOSTON is a treasure for anyone who shares these memories, as well as children of all ages who love nostalgic family stories. From Booklist: This warm, loving memoir will have plenty of resonance for today's children. Cocca-Leffler recalls what it was like to be young, living just outside Boston, and waiting for the bus to take the family into the city. The ride, with friendly Bill the driver, is lots of fun, but more excitement awaits in the city: a sale at Filene's, where shoppers try on clothes in the aisles; sundaes at an ice cream parlor; a trip to the North End to buy fruit and vegetables; cannoli to eat on the bus ride home. Bill gets a pastry, too, and calls his riders "the Cannoli girls." Even if the particulars aren't familiar, children will know the excitement of visiting a bigger town and going shopping, and recognize the happiness of being back home. The oversize, nicely crowded acrylic artwork, which features two sisters and a sometimes harried mother, is lots of fun. Whether it's two women tugging on the same dress or catching all the delicious details of a North End bakery, the pictures clearly show what make experiences like these such a part of childhood. 2000 Ilene Cooper