The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives (2017)

Introduction and Part 1

Reading Check

1. 8 minutes (Introduction)

2. Tumblr (Part 1)

3. Age 6 (Part 1)

4. Asperger’s, a form of autism (Part 1)

5. Samantha is transgender. (Part 1)

6. To legally recognize genders outside the male-female binary (Part 1)

Short Answer

1. This is a story with an ambiguous moral core. While the act of violence committed upon Sasha is in no way right, there is no clear “right” or “wrong” in the story since Richard was just a child at the time he committed the crime, which had unintended consequences. Narrative non-fiction allows the author more freedom to editorialize and interpret, and to help the reader see the moral gray area presented by Sasha’s and Richard’s tale. (Parts 1-4)

2. “Astrolinguish” is the language that Sasha created at age 6. Some languages have notions of gender, but Astrolinguish does not. It shows Sasha’s relationship to language and words, but it also shows Sasha’s relationship to gender. Sasha prefers gender-neutral pronouns. (Part 1)

3. “Sexuality” is the category of person to whom you are physically attracted. Meanwhile, “romantic” describes those to whom you have a romantic attraction. (Part 1)

Part 2

Reading Check

1. Facebook (Part 2)

2. Any of the following responses are correct: Sweat fryer grease, body spray, bathrooms, weed smoke, morning breath, whiteboard erasers. (Part 2)

3. 1/3 (Part 2)

4. Kaprice Wilson, known as “Miss Kaprice” (Part 2)

5. Richard’s mother (Part 2)

6. In a drive-by shooting (Part 2)

7. In their group home (Part 2)

8. Being the most dangerous city in California (Part 2)

Short Answer

1. The poem attempts to convey that social media is not real life. By extension, any media portrayal of Richard is not entirely accurate. When interviewing Richard, the author sees something that is not captured in his Facebook posts. it is something human and visceral, and it is not easily conveyed. (Part 2) 

2. Kaprice Wilson grew up in an area of East Oakland that was rife with gang violence, and at 14 years old, she became pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. Her boyfriend, who was in the 69Vill gang, insisted Kaprice go to college so their child could have a better chance at life than either of them had. The author goes into this level of detail to show how and why Kaprice develops such a close bond with Richard and why she becomes a mother figure to him. (Part 2)

Part 3

Reading Check

1. A troublemaker (Part 3)

2. Because Sasha is obsessed with public transportation (Part 3)

3. Acceptable answers include silly, goofy, and/or playful. (Part 3)

4. A cell phone (Part 3)

5. 45 minutes (Part 3)

6. 22 percent (Part 3)

7. 2 (Part 3)

Short Answer

1. The author draws from audio and video recordings from several cameras on the bus that document every minute leading up to the event. Using these recordings, the author can give a precise accounting of how this traumatic moment played out for all people involved. (Part 3)

2. As explained by an expert on juvenile justice, kids are typically embarrassed and ashamed that they’ve been arrested. They also think that this may somehow prevent their parents from ever finding out. (Part 3)

Part 4

Reading Check

1. That he be tried as a juvenile, not an adult (Part 4)

2. Absurd (Part 4)

3. January 2015 (Part 4

4. Saints and sinners; victims and villains (Part 4)

5. The progression of increasing awareness for a more evolved theory of gender (Part 4)

6. 41% (Part 4)

Short Answer

1. Richard studies the story of Job, who was tested by God. Richard finds comfort in the story’s message, saying that “God’s knowledge and power are so vast, there’s no point in questioning his choices” (Part 4). It gives Richard peace knowing there is a reason God allowed him to be imprisoned, even if he does not understand that reason. (Part 4)

2. The author explains that, with restorative justice, the underlying philosophy is that not all crimes deserve a severe, punitive punishment. Certain incidents can “[not be] a big deal,” but also be significant at the same time (Part 4). With restorative justice, people can hold the somewhat conflicting ideas that, on the one hand, a criminal should be reprimanded for their crime, but also that they should be healed from whatever trauma caused them to act out in the first place. (Part 4)