Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Who’s it going to be?
Spencer's the smart kid. Shelly's the diva. Miranda's the scaredy-cat. Matthew's just average (so far). In fact, there's nothing about any of the nine middle-schoolers on Mrs. B's bus route that screams "fame." But before the end of the year, somebody on this bus is going to be famous.
Every morning, their school bus waits at an empty bus stop. Nobody ever gets on. Nobody ever gets off.
And Mrs. B refuses to answer questions about it. Strangest of all, it’s Bender the bully who decides to investigate the mystery. But it will take all nine students to find out the truth, for each of them has a clue to the mystery that will change their lives forever.
Award-winning author J.B. Cheaney’s new middle grade novel weaves multiple points of view into one fascinating read. Part detective story, part tale of self-discovery, this funny and touching novel is destined to be a modern classic.
“A heartwarming story of discovery, hope, humor, and mystery – you’re in for a fun ride!” —Author of Sure Signs of Crazy and Courage for Beginners
“Cheaney’s narrative style is dynamic and lively. She clearly has high expectations of her audience, creating a middle-grade reader with both substance and complexity that is also truly fun.” —VOYA
“Cheaney effectively combines multiple layers of mystery with an uplifting message about resilience.” —Kirkus
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cheaney's novel opens with a bus accident on a torrentially rainy night and the promise that one character will be famous by book's end; she then rewinds nine months with news of a robbery in the sleepy Hidden Acres subdivision. But these early tinges of suspense wind up being peripheral as the novel unfolds. Over nine months, Cheaney (My Friend the Enemy) follows the stories of nine characters, fourth through seventh graders, who ride Mrs. B's school bus, switching between characters each month. Bender is a complex bully living in the shadow of his older brother, Spencer is brilliant, Kaitlynn is full of big ideas, and Shelly hopes to become a singing sensation someday, among other regular riders. What the students have in common are dreams, insecurities, and a fascination with Farm Road 152, where Mrs. B stops the bus each day for reasons unknown. Readers glimpse the kids' vulnerable, private worlds of thought as the novel unfolds, yet the narrative about their rocky roads to better understanding themselves can feel unfocused as it jumps around between characters. Ages 10 13.
