The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

 The 57 Bus

February 11th, 2024

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater, 2017, Nonfiction, 295 pages

2018 Winner of the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Award

Every day, Sasha and Richard take the 57 bus on their way home from school in Oakland, California. Sasha, who identifies as agender, is a bold, passionate, and intelligent teenager who has recently embraced skirts in their wardrobe. Richard, although sometimes caught in the wrong crowd, is known to others as a compassionate, silly young man who wants to turn his life around. Both teenagers' lives are changed forever after Richard carelessly lights Sasha's skirt on fire on the bus. Sasha, Richard, and their respective communities grapple with the consequences of Richard's crime as the entire nation watches. 

I chose to read The 57 Bus because it is a book that my colleague has offered as a novel choice in our literature circle unit; I wanted to become well versed in the book to offer it as a reading option in my own class. I was also drawn to The 57 Bus because I knew it provided a detailed account of a hate crime that occurred in real life. Furthermore, I wanted to explore the book's unique structure--getting to know the different types of discrimination, bias, and conflict both individuals faced before and after the crime. 

Teaching and Content Considerations:

The 57 Bus could be used in a variety of different ways in the classroom. For middle school students, I would suggest using this novel as a literature circle option or as an independent novel. In a high school setting, I believe The 57 Bus could work as a powerful whole class novel. Ultimately, I believe this novel is better suited for high school students due to adult language and a few sexual references, but middle schoolers would also be greatly invested in the story line and lessons learned. It might be beneficial to provide parents of middle school students with a warning of the adult content. Students who are interested in becoming informed about different genders and sexualities, social injustice, and the consequences of treating minors as adults in the justice system would find The 57 Bus utterly fascinating. 

Instructional Ideas

The 57 Bus in quite unique, as it weaves informational passages related to the different conflicts Sasha and Richard face in between the narratives of Sasha, Richard, and their families. Teachers could use this book as a doorway to explore topics such as: discrimination, prejudice, disparities in educational environments within Oakland, and the racism rooted in our criminal justice system. As this book is built around discussing two sides of the same crime, students could analyze and compare Sasha's and Richard's family structure, neighborhoods, school environments, instances of social injustice, their families' reactions, and the overall impact the crime had on their lives. 

Additionally, The 57 Bus displays the power one's actions can have on others. Hence, this is a great opportunity to analyze how different people in the novel affect other individual's "storylines." Teachers could have students draw a "cause and effect" web to dive deeper into the influences in Sasha and Richard's life (before the crime), and how those people (or societal issues) continue to impact their life and decisions throughout the novel. 

Possible Read Aloud Passages

• Page 120-122: "The school day was long over at five o'clock, but Karl was still in his classroom when Sasha called him on his cellphone."
• Sasha calls their father to let him know they were set on fire on the bus, and that their parents' fears about their safety finally came true.
• Page 144-145: "The news spread quickly, first to local media, then national, then international. 'A man wearing a kilt-like garment was set on fire..."
• Readers learn about how the crime was initially covered by the news. This would be an interesting passage for students to analyze for misgendering and bias in the news.
• Page 151-154: "Booked in"
• To give readers an idea of what Richard experienced being booked into a juvenile hall, Slater writes in second person to describe the entire process. Students could infer what Richard must be feeling, as well as share how this made them feel in general.
•  Pages 182-183: "On Friday, November 8th everyone at Maybeck wore a skirt."
• In a powerful moment, students at Sasha's school supported Sasha and condemned Richard's crime by dressing in skirts, the outfit that led to their injury. Later, students from Oakland high school join them in a march along the 57 bus route. 
• Page 209-212: "Reunion" 
• Sasha is reunited with one of the men who helped put the fire out from their skirt. The chapter ends with Sasha sharing their thoughts about what should happen to Richard, This is a great opportunity for students to infer what Debbie, Karl, and Sasha's thoughts reveal about their characters. Additionally, students could discuss if they agree with Sasha or not.

Thoughts and Reflections

I found The 57 Bus to be an incredibly moving and informative book. Slater did not shy away from discussing hard topics; I felt like readers were provided excellent perspectives of both Sasha's and Richard's lives. Ultimately, I feel much more informed about different genders and sexualities, the numerous disparities between teenagers' lives in the Oakland area, and the injustice in our justice system for trying teenagers as adults. I also appreciated how amazing Sasha's parents were (empathetic, thoughtful, forgiving) throughout their childhood and recovery. 

After reading The 57 Bus, I'm interested in learning about Sasha and Richard's lives after the the novel was written. I am curious if Richard and Sasha have ever spoken to one another and how this crime altered the trajectory of their lives (even after Richard was released/ Sasha attended college). Additionally, I would like to learn more about the impact of juvenile halls on offenders and restorative justice.