Riding The Short Bus

Labeled "dyslexic and profoundly learning disabled with attention and behavior problems," Jonathan Mooney was a short bus rider--a derogatory term used for kids in special education and a distinction that told the world he wasn't "normal." Along with other kids with special challenges, he grew up hearing himself denigrated daily. Ultimately, Mooney surprised skeptics by graduating with honors from Brown University. But he could never escape his past, so he hit the road. To free himself and to learn how others had moved beyond labels, he bought his own short bus and set out cross-country, looking for kids who had dreamed up magical, beautiful ways to overcome the obstacles that separated them from the so-called normal world.--From publisher description.

An assortment of authentic, shared experiences from parents at the fringes is a partial antidote to the stories that misrepresent, ridicule and objectify disabled kids and their parents.

Riding the Short Bus honestly describes the heartbreak and humor (believe it or not) that comes with having an autistic child. Written by a human parent -- not a superhero -- for other overwhelmed parents, it's about the parents' wild ride. This is the book that you might be able give to grandparents or friends and say, "This is what we're going through." Find out how other parents have accepted autism, become more confident, and learned to appreciate the unique experience of being an autistic child's parent.

Before Kyle rides a school bus for the first time, his older brother gives him a list of rules he must follow, but after breaking every single one on the first day, Kyle discovers the rule his brother left out.

A “heartwarming, life-affirming” memoir of a relationship with an intellectually disabled sibling: “Read this book. It might just change your life” (Boston Herald). Beth is a spirited woman with an intellectual disability who lives intensely and often joyfully, and spends most of her days riding the buses in Pennsylvania. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers, her community—though some display less patience or kindness than others. Her sister, Rachel, a teacher and writer, camouflages her emotional isolation by leading a hyperbusy life. But one day, Beth asks Rachel to accompany her on public transportation for an entire year—and Rachel accepts. This wise, funny, deeply affecting book is the chronicle of that remarkable time, as Rachel learns how to live in the moment, how to pay attention to what really matters, how to change, how to love—and how to slow down and enjoy the ride. Weaving in anecdotes and memories of terrifying maternal abandonment, fierce sisterly loyalty, and astonishing forgiveness, Rachel Simon brings to light a world that is almost invisible to many people, finds unlikely heroes in everyday life, and, without sentimentality, wrestles with her own limitations and portrays Beth as the endearing, feisty, independent person she is. “With tenderness and fury, heartbreak and acceptance . . . Simon comes to the inescapable conclusion that we are all riders on the bus, and on the bus we are all the same.” —Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

Join Driver Bob the school bus driver and his little school bus as they wake early, pick up the children, and drop them off at school. Then it's off to the garage to fix a tail light. All in a day's work for this trusty team. The lyrical text, catchy rhyme, and bright pictures of Margery Cuyler's The Little School Bus make this a perfect choice for preschoolers who are soon to be school bus riders!

Molly is worried about riding the school bus on her first day of kindergarten, but a friendly older girl helps her adjust.

In this wonderful Pre-K-1 book, students will learn all about what it's like to ride on a school bus as well as all the parts and people that make it go!