The 57 Bus

The 57 Bus

Dashka Slater

Publisher

Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

Publication Year

2017

ISBN

9780374303235

Pages

305 pages

Genre

nonfiction

Format

full length

Item Type

Nonfiction

Annotation

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 one. 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 severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The 57 Bus is Dashka Slater's true account of the case that garnered international attention and thrust both teenagers into the spotlight.

Grade Level

6-8; 9-12

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; Racial Diveristy; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Single parent; Incarceration; Race discrimination; Transgender; Androgyny; Gender nonconformity; single mother; teenager in prison; prejudice; agender; gender fluid; gender variance; gender expression

Main Character

agender person and boy

Race/Ethnicities

African American / White

Family Formation

mother and father; single mother

LGBTQ+

agender person

Awards

Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Non-fiction (Junior/Senior High )
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Literature
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Non-Fiction

Keywords

Oakland; hate crimes; city bus; violence; trial; justice system; skirt; third-degree burns

Diversity Impact

direct

The 57 Bus

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