Embedded Files
The 57 Bus
The 57 Bus
By: Dashka Slater
This book left me speechless. The 57 Bus is an astonishing true story about a crime/incident that occurred in 2013, in Oakland, California. Richard, a black teen from an underprivileged and crime-plagued community, was accused of a hate crime when he set fire to the skirt of Sasha, who is a white agender teen from a middle-class family. The case garnered international attention and put both teens in the spotlight, and this book by Dashka Slater takes a deeper look at the case from the perspectives of both Sasha and Richard. The book provides the reader with a detailed and double-sided view of this incredibly complicated and nuanced crime that crossed so many intersections of gender identity, racism, and class privilege. It was beyond astonishing- if you could only read one book about social justice and the justice system in our world today, I'd demand you read this one. Please take a look at it!-Gea
The Ghost Map
By: Steven Johnson
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book seeing as it took me 2 years to get through it. But I did it! I finished it! When I actually was reading the book it was interesting. It is all about the London Cholera Epidemic (an epidemic is an outbreak of disease across a specific area, a pandemic is an outbreak of disease that is across multiple contents). One of the weirdest things was that I started to read it before the pandemic and finished it last year, so 2020. In the book Steven Johnson tries to put being in an epidemic in perspective. He says, "epidemics create a kind of history from below: they can be world-changing, but the participants are almost inevitably ordinary folk, following there established routines, not thinking for a second about how there actions will be recorded for posterity" (Johnson 32). This was a little freaky to read when we are all living history- but if I had read the book a little sooner that line wouldn't have truly resonated. This book was definitely interesting, it just took forever.-Norah
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person
By: Frederick Joseph
This book was eye-opening and life-changing. I am a white girl and bought this book because I want to improve myself and understand how I can be a better ally and anti-racist. I found The Black Friend very helpful and well-written, because not only was it informational, but, for a lack of better words, I would say it was entertaining and drew me in. It was a mix between self-help and autobiography. The author shared stories and anecdotes from his own life, which made the book deeply personal and insightful. His writing style was informal and straightforward, flowing like a conversation- I felt like I was there with him. Reading this helped me reflect on myself and learn what not to say and do, as well as what I can do to improve. It was very blunt about race and racism, which was super helpful. I am extremely grateful to the author for helping me become a better white person. This is a must-read for any white person. Share this book with family and friends once you've read it.-Gea
Student Voice: 100 Argument Essays By Teens
This book taught me so much. Every essay was beautifully written, engaging, and relevant. To read essays written by kids like me and see how they did it was so cool. It is an inspiring mentor text for any kid hoping to up their essay game. This would also be an incredible resource for teachers so kids could see what great examples look like. I would recommend this to teachers and academically minded students. It is a great example of how to write and it has relenvent, inspiring perspectives.-Norah
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