Review of Taking the Short Bus

[Onyinyechi Orji]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Taking the Short Bus" by Bruce eryl Fisher.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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We're taken back to October 1974, during the latter months of the Vietnam War. Carol Schor is a history teacher at Noah Webster Preparatory School in Philadelphia, United States of America. Among her students, she was particularly close to Eric, who didn't want to be in school anymore and constantly referred to the school as a "retarded house.

The story's focal point is Eric's life, as is Carole's, who is tasked with teaching kids with special needs. Eric, for example, was diagnosed with dyslexia ( aggravated by the death of his brother in the Vietnam War), while Tony, another student in Eric's class, was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. As we see throughout the story, handling these special kinds of kids is never easy. Tony persistently spoke with an insulting overtone to Carole, while Eric consistently spoke lewdly to his teacher. Eric's determination to prove to the school that he is not retarded and can care for himself drives him to various jobs, including jobs that could have killed him. What will be the outcome of these events?

Taking the Short Bus by Bruce eryl Fisher is a story of a teenager trying to grow and find his foot in the world. It's a book with various themes, such as drugs, disappointment, love, and determination, with the latter being the most dominant theme in Eric's life. We see a teenager who's not afraid to take risks in reaching his goal. He didn't always do things the legal way, but he nearly always got what he wanted by sheer determination. He overcame death threats and life-threatening illnesses by remaining determined, finding his feet, and proving to others that he was not retarded. The author even shows his determination in subtle details when Carole and Eric accidentally kiss while laughing towards the end of the book. Though it was accidental, and Carole never spoke to Eric again, we could see how powerful a man can be when he is determined. We could see he had a "reward" for being persistent, albeit he never had the relationship he wanted with his teacher.

Shifting the spotlight to other characters in the story, we get to observe the abuse of drugs by teenagers in high school. By introducing us to Alice Cappadonna, Eric's first girlfriend, according to the story, the writer explicitly displayed to us the ultimate and eventual side effect of drug abuse; death. Drug abuse is a real thing in our schools today, and working towards curbing it would be a big step forward for our society today. A few times, the plot wanders, but even in its rare aimlessness, we see limited other parts of the protagonist's life. This was the only deterrent I faced while reading.

I would give the book a 4 out of 4 and strongly recommend it to those who want to dive into the recent history of high schools in the 1970s. If you want to explore more of the intricate nature of the average teenager in college, this book is for you. The book is also recommended for those who struggle with confidence and lack the determination to achieve their respective goals. It was void of errors, showing how exceptional the editing was. I gave it a perfect rating because of the positive things I learnt in the book.

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Taking the Short Bus
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[Christabel Egbeama]

Having seen couple of movies featuring people with Tourette syndrome and dyslexia, I can totally understand how hard it is to care for them and guide them in learning. I would love to see how Carole handles Tony and Eric. Great review!

[Judy O]

I agree that catering for special needs children is not easy. I look forward to reading about these activities that Eric undertook. Great review.

[Jeffery Gary]

This is a descriptive review. I admire your writing style and look forward to reading this book to learn the interesting morals installed in it.

[Amarachi Nwankwo03]

Taking care of kids by itself is demanding, how much more kids with conditions like dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome. Teachers are truly heroes and I would love to read on to learn how Carole handles and deals with the children. I’m sure this would make a delightful read.

[Amarachi Nwankwo03]

Taking care of kids by itself is demanding, how much more kids with conditions like dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome. Teachers are truly heroes and I would love to read on to learn how Carole handles and deals with the children. I’m sure this would make a delightful read.

[Chrity Edwin]

I have read a couple of books about the viatnam war and I believe this would be quite interesting to read. Would definitely read to find out more. Nice review

[Oluchii]

This book would give insights on what children with special needs undergo. Eric's sheer determination irrespective of his dyslexia is commendable. Great review.

[third agbata]

I enjoyed reading your review . I think this will be a great read for me

[Lawrence+2]

Thinking about Eric idea about school, I really support the fact that school can be regarded as the "retarded house." I want to point out that I love the cover of the book. Interesting review.

[Gavice Victoria]

I am familiar with the effects of war on both those who fought it and their families. The Vietnam war was a big one. I would love to read this book to find out more about Eric and his school.

[Joyce Nwaogazie]

I've read numerous stories about the Vietnam war, and this sure is one of the best with a substantial depiction of the events. The focal characters would be a delight to read about. Excellent review.

[Larabs Josh]

First, I was curious when I saw the title of this book. Truly we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I guess this is a book every young people should read.

[Adaeze Joan]

I am not a fan of historical fiction of any kind, but I find this storyline very compelling. It is about a young boy, Eric, teenager trying to grow and find his foot in the world. A lot of readers would definitely enjoy this book. Nice review.

[Famzi Ken]

Interesting! It isn't easy to teach special needs people. I would like to read these kid's stories and how they were handled. Great review.