The 57 Bus

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Publisher Information:  New York, NY:  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017

Summary:  One teenager in a skirt.  One teenager with a lighter.  One moment that changes both of their lives forever.  If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met.  Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds.  Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills, and attended a small private school.  Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public school.  Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes.  But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severelty burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life iimprisonment.  The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.

Book Review:

Read-a-Likes:

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No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row by Susan Kuklin

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Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens

Links of Interest:

Author website:  dashkaslater.com

Educator's Guide:  HERE

New York Times' article about what happened:  HERE

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