The 57 Bus--TeachersFirst Reading Trek
This map is intended to help students better understand the places and content mentioned in the text.

Author's Information

Boston, MA
Dashka Slater was born in Boston, MA, on November 21, 1963. These images show how Boston looked at that time. (Image credit: https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsca/41600/41673v.jpg and https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsca/51000/51020v.jpg.)

Cambridge, MA
Ms. Slater spent most of her childhood in Cambridge, MA. This historic city, established in 1636, sits just across the Charles River from Boston and is considered part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. Its well-known colleges include Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Take a virtual tour at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj2LWm6XqCw. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Barbados
Dashka's family traveled while she was four years old as her father took a sabbatical from his writing career. The family lived here and in other places abroad. It was while living here that she learned to read. Barbados is a lush tropical island in the southern Caribbean with beaches and rainforests. These images show different facets of Barbados. (Photo Credit: pixabay.com.)

The Cambridge School of Weston
Ms. Slater attended from 1978 to 1980. The Cambridge School of Weston was founded in 1886 as a college preparatory school for girls. This is a progressive-minded, private school that is now coed. The school also offers boarding. Visit https://www.csw.org/ to learn more about the school.

University of California, Berkeley
Ms. Slater attended the University of California, Berkeley, from 1981 to 1986, earning her B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies. These images show some of the buildings on the Berkeley campus. Learn more about the university at https://visit.berkeley.edu/. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com and pixabay.com.)

Eugene, OR
Sitting on the Willamette River, with the Cascades to the east and sandy beaches to the west, the city of Eugene, Oregon, is home to the University of Oregon and other colleges. It has a rich agricultural history due to abundant rainfall and mild temperatures. Visit www.eugenecascadescoast.org/regions-cities/eugene/ to learn more. Ms. Slater lived here in Eugene, OR, as she opted to take a semester off from her college studies and study midwifery. The first two images show the city from the mountains/butte nearby, and the third image shows one of the neighborhoods. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Oakland, CA
Dashka Slater married Cliff Baker in June 1991 and, together with their son, lives in the Oakland foothills in the same neighborhood where the story takes place. These images reflect that area of Oakland. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

East Bay Express
Ms. Slater began contributing stories to the Oakland-based newspaper in the 1990s as a staff writer. Visit www.eastbayexpress.com to read some of their articles about the Bay Area.

Sierra Club Magazine
Ms. Slater has been writing for Sierra for 25 years concerning the politics and policies affecting the environment. Visit www.sierraclub.org/sierra to check out their environmental articles.

Mother Jones
Dashka Slater has been a freelance writer covering poverty, politics, policy, the environment, and more since 2003. The Mother Jones Magazine, at www.motherjones.com, is socially conscious journalism that takes on big business and politicians at all levels.

St. Paul Episcopal School
Cliff Baker, Dashka Slater's husband, teaches English and history at St. Paul Episcopal School. Visit this school at https://www.spes.org/.

Publisher's Information

Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers is an imprint/division of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. This publishing group was founded in 1946 by Farrar and Straus; in 1964, Giroux's name was added. The group is known globally for both literary fiction and nonfiction, poetry, and children's books. To learn more about the history of the group, visit These two images show the triangular-shaped Flatiron Building, a 22-story building that opened in 1902 and is home to the two publishing companies. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

A C Transit Route for the 57 Bus

Public Market Emeryville
The Public Market in Emeryville offers a wide selection of eateries, some shopping, and even health and fitness opportunities.

Eastbound Route
This is the route from the Public Market Emeryville to Foothills Square. It is just one of many bus routes within the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District. Learn more at www.actransit.org. Buses run about every fifteen minutes in both directions.

MacArthur Station
The MacArthur Station is a major transfer point for the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), serving four lines with four platforms. It is the largest station in the BART system. Visit www.bart.gov to view a station map, schedules, and more.

Foothill Square
Foothill Square is a very diverse Oakland neighborhood with a population of just over 1,300. The unemployment and crime rates are higher, while homeownership is lower than in other Oakland areas. Data about the area available at

Sasha's Places Layer

Ancient Mesopotamia Region
This area was known for its extremely fertile soils, steady climate, and fresh water sources. It was bordered by the Tigres and Euphrates Rivers. The sophisticated societies living there developed the method of measuring time, a mathematical system, and written language well before the Egyptians and Greeks. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVf5kZA0HtQ  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZedmncHt3OQ to learn more. While the cities are now gone, their impact is undeniable. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Russia
Spanning parts of two continents, Russia is geographically the largest country globally. It is governed by the Russian Federation. It has quite a storied history. (Image Credit: pixabay.com.)

Maybeck High School
Maybeck High School was founded in 1972  and now serves a diverse student body of over 100 students, with almost half identifying themselves as people of color. The student-to-teacher ratio is 5:1, creating a strong learning environment. Students travel from more than thirty zip codes to be part of this unique, independent, college-preparatory program. Learn more about the school at https://www.maybeckhs.org/.

Glenview Neighborhood
This is the approximate outline of the Glenview District. Visit to learn more about this neighborhood. The author of the story stated that she lives in the same neighborhood as Sasha Fleischman's family. This image of an Oakland neighborhood reflects the home styles of Glenview. Text clues suggest Sasha's family lives on the eastern side of the neighborhood. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Sequoia Elementary School
Sasha's father, Karl, teaches here. Sequoia Elementary is a diverse school where conflict remediation and character development are key instructional components daily.

Yosemite Camping Trip Site Burned
In August 2013, twenty-three buildings were destroyed by the Rim Fire, which surrounded the Berkeley Tuolumne Camp and Family Camp. View for photos of the area and the fire. The image shown reflects that area. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Rockridge Station
Rockridge Station is about a one-mile walk from Maybeck High School; it offers BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and bus services. It was Sasha's first bus ride after school each afternoon. This bus, most likely the 51A, travels from College to Broadway, where passengers can make connections to the 57 Bus line. This image shows an example of a BART station. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Sasha's Ride on the 51A Bus
The AC Transit 51A Bus route aligns with Sasha's route home, traveling to MacArthur Boulevard, where they would transfer to the 57 Bus for the remainder of the ride home. This image shows the interconnections of the rapid transit system, the expressways, and the regular street traffic along the route. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

The Fire
The fire was set as the AC Transit 57 bus traveled East on MacArthur Blvd, approaching Ardley Avenue. These images show the type of bus used with the accordion middle; these buses accommodate approximately twice as many passengers as a single bus. An unfortunate aspect is that the driver is not always able to see the back of the bus and some areas of the back half. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and Bothin Burn Center
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is home to the Bothin Burn Center on the fifth floor. This sixteen-bed, intensive care unit treats over 500 patients annually. Saint Francis Memorial Hospital has been caring for patients for over a century.

Oakland Scottish Rite Center
The Scottish Rite Center is an ornate facility used by Scottish Rite Freemasons and also serves as a venue for various events. Visit https://localwiki.org/oakland/Scottish_Rite_Center to view this magnificent structure. The Oakland Scottish Rite Center has served as the venue for a number of Gaskell Balls, formal dances in which attendees adorn Victorian costumes.

Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt sits just east of downtown Oakland. It is a tidal lagoon connected to the San Francisco Bay. Learn more at www.lakemerritt.org. Visitors often visit the park for birdwatching and photography opportunities, as in the first image, and water sports such as boating, as in the second image. The third image shows the lakefront at night; the Oakland Scottish Rite Center is visible here on the right. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Alameda County Superior Courthouse
Trials involving adults and teens being tried as adults are conducted at this courthouse. Evidentiary hearings determine whether there is enough evidence to set a trial date, and if so, the prosecuting attorney will often offer a plea bargain. If the defendant accepts the offer and pleads guilty, sentencing will follow shortly thereafter.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded to aid the industrial revolution through education, research, and innovation. Millions of jobs have been launched, largely from discoveries that have driven new technologies and processes. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

MIT Epsilon Theta House
The yellow house for the members of Epsilon Theta sits across the river from MIT. The group of students enjoys board games, puzzles, and other intellectual activities. Visit them at http://web.mit.edu/thetans/www/.

Richard's Places' Layer

87th Avenue Apartments
The Brookpoint Apartments are some of the apartments on 87th Avenue.

Oakland High School
Oakland High School is a public senior high school with a student body of over 1,500. It is the oldest high school in the city and has been operating at this location, its fourth, since 1980. It is extremely racially and ethnically diverse. Visit the school online at https://www.ousd.org/oaklandhigh. The Oakland Unified School District does not provide transportation, except for special-needs students as required by law; students walk, carpool when possible, or use the mass transit system, where they must pay bus fare, which sometimes interferes with school attendance.

Oakland Police Department
The Oakland Police Department has two sites-one for traffic and the other for all other police activities. There are five Police Areas, each with individual beats. There is a secondary location in the Eastmont area. This image shows a typical interrogation room. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center
The Juvenile Justice Center of Almeda County is a facility housing the Juvenile Courts and Juvenile Hall. "Juvie," as it is often referred, can house 358 individuals. Minors are retained here until their court hearing. The amenities are very few: a bunk, a stainless steel sink with a mirror, and a toilet within a 70-square-foot area or less; three solid walls and a fourth with a door and a small window are the confines. Activities include school, counseling, and chapel if desired.

Redding Group Home
Group homes, such as Open Line Group Homes, are residential facilities for youth who have been placed there by the court system mandate. While living there, youth attend academic classes as well as anger management, substance abuse, and life skill counseling. This image shows the landscape of the surrounding community. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

The Unity Council
The Unity Council is a nonprofit organization that promotes social equity and builds vibrant communities where everyone thrives and enjoys a better quality of life. Learn more about them at https://unitycouncil.org/.

Alameda County Courthouse
Trials involving adults and teens being tried as adults are conducted at this courthouse. Evidentiary hearings determine whether there is enough evidence to set a trial date, and if so, the prosecuting attorney will often offer a plea bargain. If the defendant accepts the offer and pleads guilty, sentencing will follow shortly thereafter.

N. A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility
This facility is one of several in the Division of Juvenile Justice; it is for males aged 18-25 years. Educational programs offered there include a standard high school diploma, college courses, and an apprenticeship program.

Richard's Family and Friends' Places

East Oakland
"East Oakland" is defined more by those who live there than geographic markers; it is more central than East. Statistically, the dropout rate is high, as is the crime rate, and the taxable family incomes are lower than the city and state averages. Visit https://www.loc.gov/photos/?dates=2000/2099&q=oakland+ to view some images of East Oakland along International Blvd.

United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
Leavenworth is a medium-security federal prison. It has been operational for more than 100 years, opening in 1903 as a maximum-security prison and remaining so until 2005. The prisoner population is male-only.

Clark Atlanta University
This historically black university was formed in 1988, combining Clark College and Atlanta University. The university offers 38 areas of study and is an NCAA Division II collegiate sports program. Visit https://www.cau.edu/ to learn more.

Elmhurst Neighborhood
The Elmhurst Neighborhood, the southernmost part of Oakland, is also considered a part of "East Oakland." It was originally its own town but was annexed by Oakland in 1909. The original town had an agricultural economy, but after it was annexed following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, it became more of a manufacturing-based economy. The Chevrolet plant that had opened in 1915 closed during the 1960s.

Disneyland Park
Disneyland Park, the world's oldest Disney Park, opened in 1955. Its construction was supervised by Walt Disney himself, pictured in the first image. The second image is of the Castle of Sleeping Beauty, and the third image is of a nightly light show. (Image Credit: pixabay.com.)

Corner of Fruitvale Ave and MacArthur Blvd
Local youth enjoy gathering here to just hang out and to "play dice."

Skyline High School
This is a public high school serving over 1,500 students. Students at Skyline High School come from diverse backgrounds. To learn more about the school, visit https://www.ousd.org/skyline.

Boys Republic
This is a residential treatment facility. Founded in 1907, the Boys Republic and the Girls Republic are private school programs for youth considered at-risk due to academic, emotional, and behavioral concerns. The goal is to assist students in reaching their full potential through vocational and life-skills training and counseling in the areas needed.

San Francisco Bay
Often in the summer, dense fog forms as ocean breezes blow across the bay's cool waters. The fog forms in the morning, dissipates in the midday, and forms again in the early evening. These images show just how thick the fog can be at times. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Other Organizations Mentioned

Cook County Juvenile Court
Cook County was the first county in the nation to create a juvenile court system in 1899. The county set a precedent for other jurisdictions to follow.

University of Minnesota Law School
Centennial Professor of Law Emeritus Barry Feld, a leading scholar in juvenile justice, teaches courses in criminal law and juvenile law.  (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Princeton University
Princeton University is a private institution known for its academic excellence, limited admissions, and socially elite status. It is extremely selective, admitting fewer than 10% of applicants. Visit www.princeton.edu to learn more. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

California State University, Stanislaus
California State University at Stanislaus's Dr. Gerstenfeld, a criminal justice professor,  stated that hate crimes have more to do with the perpetrator's self-image and insecurities than with the victim.

National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Lesbian Rights, founded in 1977, was the first legal organization specifically for the LGBTQ community.

ACLU of Northern California
The American Civil Liberties Union strives to protect the rights of those individuals who are victims of discrimination.

New York University School of Law
The Center for Research in Crime and Justice is part of the New York University School of Law. This program began in 1983 under the direction of Dr. James Jacobs, who also teaches an array of courses there.

San José State University
Occupying nineteen square blocks in the downtown area, San Jose State University is the oldest public college on the West Coast and the founding college in the California State University system. Take a virtual tour of the campus at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdS2jlUhoPk&ab_channel=SJSU. These images show different areas of the campus. (Photo Credit: Image(s) used under license from shutterstock.com.)

Ella Baker Center
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights works at the local, state, and national levels to help all groups of people. At the local level, they are working to establish a safer Oakland and to reroute funds from local jails. On the state level, they work on policies to reduce sentences and increase opportunities. On the national level, they are helping drive policies towards public safety measures and ensuring needs are met.

Restorative Response Baltimore
Restorative Response Baltimore is an organization that teaches conflict resolution and community building/rebuilding so that all persons involved have their voices heard, and an understanding develops that benefits everyone. It is cooperation and collaboration at work. Check out these videos to learn more: https://vimeo.com/114915516 and

Impact Justice
Impact Justice, led by attorney Sujatha Baliga, strives to innovate and reform the current justice system. The organization works to keep youth and adults out of the justice system in the first place, to improve humanitarian conditions and mindsets of those incarcerated, and to aid the reentry process into the community with employment and housing. Learn more at https://impactjustice.org/.