Audiobook: The 57 Bus

From the Publisher:

This nonfiction account is based on the New York Times Magazine story that journalist, novelist, and children's author Dashka Slater wrote about a 2013 assault that occurred when two teens were riding home from school on THE 57 BUS in Oakland, California. While one teen, Sasha, who appeared male but was wearing a skirt, slept, 16-year-old Richard -- egged on by friends -- lit the sleeping Sasha's skirt on fire. The fire left third-degree burns over 22 percent of Sasha's body. Richard was charged as an adult with two hate crimes and faced life in prison. The story is divided into four parts -- "Sasha," "Richard," "The Fire," and "Justice" -- in which Slater deeply explores the lives of these two teens, their pasts, their friends and families, and the events that led to that fateful day on the bus. 

My Thoughts:

• Students can talk about how The 57 Bus deals with growing up agender, which means not identifying with a specific gender. Why does society sometimes ridicule and hurt nonconforming people? Have you read any other books about someone who's gender-nonconforming? Did this story make you feel more empathy?

• How do you talk about race with friends and family? How do you deal with friends who tell racist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive jokes? What about family members who say inappropriate things?

• What are your thoughts about the U.S. criminal justice system after reading The 57 Bus?