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

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of these lists accurately relates Sasha's wish list for their 16th birthday?

A) A journal, a keyboard, a game console, new clothes

B) A camera, a guitar, a sketchbook, headphones

C) An accordion, a manual typewriter, a Swedish flag, a new Rubik’s cube

D) A book on art history, a bicycle, a backpack, a new iPhone

2. At first, how did Debbie react to Sasha’s refusal to use public restrooms labelled “men” and “women”?

A) Debbie was sad, realizing that Sasha would not have a “normal” teenage experience.

B) Debbie was angry and told Sasha that they needed to be more flexible.

C) Debbie was pleased because Sasha was able to be their true and authentic self.

D) Debbie was worried, fearful that students at Sasha’s school would make fun of Sasha.

3. What technique does the author use in Part 1 to immediately signal the book will be told in a nontraditional style?

A) The author starts the book with poetry-like excerpts from Tumblr.

B) The author color-codes certain phrases in the opening sentences of the book.

C) The author writes the first few paragraphs of the book in Astrolinguish.

D) The author provides a disclaimer at the start of the novel.

4. When the author addresses the reader directly, as she does in her discussion of pronoun usage in Part 1, how does this literary technique serve the overall messaging of the book?

A) It incurs guilt in the reader for their past disregard for the pronoun choices of other people, encouraging behavior change.

B) It reminds the reader that they could have been one of Sasha’s classmates, emphasizing that young readers are the audience for this book.

C) It breeds a sense of camaraderie in the reader, that the author is learning in real-time about pronoun usage along with the reader.

D) It makes the reader part of the narrative, emphasizing the way in which the reader participates in social constructs of gender.

5. The author’s poem to present Richard’s issues in “Trust Issues” ends with the line “I’ma make her happy.” Who is this line directed to and why is it a poignant ending to the piece?

A) To Miss Kaprice, and it’s poignant because Richard is not even her blood relative

B) To the author, and it’s poignant because it emphasizes the unique role of the reporter in this book

C) To Jasmine, and it’s poignant because Richard ends up in juvenile hall – which does not make his mother happy

D) To Sasha, and it’s poignant because it shows Richard’s desire to repent

6. Richard’s section of the book is shorter in length than Sasha’s, and it includes comparatively fewer direct quotations from his parents. What does this imply about Richard?

A) That he is secretive and concealing, demonstrating his shady nature

B) That many parts of his life are simply unknowable to the author

C) That he is less deserving to have his story known than Sasha, who is the clear victim

D) That his parents are less friendly than Sasha’s

7. Which of the following is NOT one of the goals that Miss Kaprice gives to her troubled students at East Oakland High?

A) Go to class.

B) Get your grades up.

C) Hustle hard in your after-school job.

D) Stay out of jail.

8. What role does Richard’s father play in his life, as outlined in Part 2 of the book?

A) He’s a stern, quiet man; Richard mostly respects his father, but he also fears him.

B) He’s a huge inspiration to Richard, having built a car wash business from the ground up.

C) He’s an embarrassment to Richard; his drug problems have brought shame to his family.

D) He’s largely absent in Richard’s life, after splitting from Richard’s mother.

9. Before Richard is sent to juvenile hall, he gets in trouble and is sent to a group home in his junior year of school. What are the incidents that cause this?

A) He gets into two altercations, one on a bus going to the beach and another at a park.

B) He is busted three times for having marijuana in his locker at school.

C) He is failing four of his six classes.

D) He tells his counsellor that he is considering self-harming if his life does not improve.

10. What style of juvenile justice and reform is endorsed by Miss Kaprice?

A) Procedural justice

B) Distributive justice

C) Restorative justice

D) Retributive justice

11. Who are “The Ladies” who orbit Richard that the author refers to in Part 3?

A) A group of older white women attending Richard’s trial who want him tried as a child

B) A group of young women who work at the juvenile hall and taunt Richard

C) Several of Richard’s female friends who all have crushes on him

D) Several of Richard’s classmates wo support him and want him freed as soon as possible

12. After Richard is imprisoned in juvenile hall, he writes letters to Sasha apologizing for his part in what happened on the bus. Why does Richard’s attorney not pass these letters to Sasha?

A) Because they are not written in proper English, and he wants to edit them before sending

B) Because he forgets to do so, and he feels it is too late when he does remember

C) Because they contain an admission of guilt, which could disrupt Richard’s case

D) Because the letters are confiscated by the attorney’s paralegal, who wants to sabotage Richard

13. Which of the following best describes why Richard has a renewed sense of faith after being imprisoned in juvenile hall for the crime against Sasha?

A) He is comforted at the thought that God causes everything to happen for a reason.

B) He is comforted at the thought that he will someday enter heaven.

C) He is comforted at the thought that those who have wronged him will pay for their sins.

D) He is comforted at the thought that he can meet teens just like him at church services.

14. What idea is central to the justice philosophy explained by the expert in Part 4?

A) Punishing the criminals who did wrong

B) Healing everyone involved in a crime, offender and victim equally

C) Restoring American society to the Founding Fathers’ vision

D) Generating money from the persecution of criminals for the betterment of society

15. When Karl and Debbie finally receive the letters from Richard addressed to Sasha in January 2015, what is their reaction?

A) They are upset at Richard, that he thinks mere letters can make up for what he did to Sasha.

B) They are dismissive of the letters, and they do not want to hear anything Richard has to say.

C) They feel somewhat suspicious about the letters, and they wonder if Richard is trying to manipulate them in some way.

D) They wish they would have seen the letters sooner, and they express their forgiveness.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. In Part 2, the author utilizes poetry in many of her descriptions and discussions of Richard. What purpose does poetry serve here? How does it affect how the reader understands Richard?

2. What constitutes a “hate crime,” as defined by the author in Part 3? Does the author think Richard should be charged with one?

3. Richard’s and Sasha’s life paths collide on the 57 bus that one fateful day in 2013, but their lives diverge in the aftermath of the incident. Briefly describe what happened to both Richard and Sasha at the close of the book.