The 57 Bus vs. Far from the Tree

We had two great books this round. The 57 Bus was definitely relevant for many reasons, and as a Social Studies teacher I made the easy connection with this book and the grade 9 YCJA unit. In fact, I plan to use it as a lit circle option in the future.

However, at DDM we are voting for Far from the Tree to advance to the next round. When I read these books, I try to separate how I feel about them vs. how a student might feel. With The 57 Bus, there were parts that dragged on and, in my opinion, made the book too long. For me, that's a red flag that my average junior high reader isn't going to push through and actually finish the book, however important it may be. Far from the Tree was better written, as my colleague Brandy Lee said, and I feel it was an overall more engaging story for a student to read. It also brought up a number of issues that aren't commonly talked about in YA literature, like teen pregnancy and foster care/adoption. 

It wasn't an easy decision and I think either book could arguably move on to the next round, but at DDM, we went with Far from the Tree!