The 57 bus

Locations
Call Number: Teen 364.155 Sl, Teen Book / Nonfiction / Social Issues
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Monday November 4, 2013 -- Oakland California -- Sasha -- Tumbling -- Pronouns -- Blank cards -- Luke and Samantha -- Gran turismo 2 -- How do you know what gender you are? -- Genderqueer -- Gender, sex, sexuality, romance-some terms -- Sasha's terms -- Becoming Sasha -- Bathrooms -- Bathrooms revisted.
"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 case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight." -- Amazon.com.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Powerful! submitted by flemingj on July 14, 2018, 9:12pm Such an important story about kids with different lives and how the world sees them. Also, is so hopefully even after such a traumatic event.

Very readable, perfect for teens submitted by Jinxyluis on June 18, 2019, 12:27pm Impossible to put down. This book is written for a young adult audience, which I absolutely love because it introduces a ton of important topics to teens, but also leads to the writing feeling over-simplistic at times. There are also these poem chapters that felt like a strange departure of tone and didn’t fit for me.

Good Introduction to Intersectionality submitted by pangr on July 26, 2022, 1:52pm Definitely worth a read for teens, sparking discussion in both transphobia and the nature of the carceral state. A little bit basic in terms of how gender is discussed, and I found that some of the writing felt quite sterile. Despite this, it's a well-informed perspective only second to the people who were directly involved in this unfortunate set of events, and it makes me want to see more work like it.

Wow submitted by Xris on June 19, 2023, 9:35am Wow. A heavy subject and a real life incident. I was riveted to find out what happened to both Sasha and Richard. I will talk about this book to my GSA.

Highly recommended submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 6, 2023, 1:48pm This book is the Ann Arbor District Library’s 2022 Big Gay Read book, and it’s an outstanding choice. A teen with a lighter sets on fire an agender teen in a skirt, and the humanizing story of both, as well as the legal case that follows, is gripping. This is a true story, and the author does an excellent job bringing readers into the minds and hearts of the two focal teens, as well as their parents, friends, teachers, and school communities. By the time you are immersed into the book, it is clear that these were real and complex people, that communities and systems can fail, and that while accountability and responsibility are necessary, genuine solutions that work toward change are hard to come by. Recommended for everyone.