The 57 Bus: Part 2

by Dashka Slater
This award-winning book explores the true story of two teens whose lives were forever changed after a violent encounter on a city bus.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Monday, November 4, 2013-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
15 words 472 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tribute
    something given or done as an expression of esteem
    Standing with Skeet, spines straight,
    chins up, peas in a pod.

    And later, beside Skeet’s picture,
    wearing a bandanna in tribute.
  2. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    That smell is the pungent eraser that wipes
    the whiteboard clean, so just
    ignore the ghosts of last year’s scrawl
    still there, still showing through.
  3. compliance
    acting according to certain accepted standards
    Her name was Kaprice Wilson, and she was O High’s attendance compliance officer.
  4. truancy
    failure to attend, especially school
    “I’m the truancy coordinator,” Kaprice said.
  5. transcript
    a reproduction of a written record
    Back in her office, Kaprice looked up Richard’s transcript.
  6. juvenile
    of or relating to children or young people
    He’d been placed there by the juvenile authorities after being arrested for fighting when he was a freshman.
  7. hype
    blatant or sensational promotion
    “By the time I got to be eighteen or nineteen, I thought I was like the Princess of East Oakland,” she says. “Because 69vill was the gang that had all the hype. It was the most feared.”
  8. retaliate
    make a counterattack and return like for like
    “I don’t want anybody to retaliate,” she imagined him saying.
  9. surrogate
    someone or something that takes the place of another
    At Oakland High School, Kaprice served as a surrogate mom to the kids who needed one the most—the ones who had trouble just getting to school every day.
  10. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
    Her tiny office was papered with their missives:
    From son Oscar, I ❤ you mom, read one.
  11. temperament
    your usual mood
    Richard’s temperament made it easier—he was a happy kid, always dancing and singing, playful and silly.
  12. tussle
    disorderly fighting
    In the tussle that followed, something fell out of Other Ashley’s bag—insulin and needles.
  13. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    He was the one who could do a backflip off a traffic barrier. The one who sauntered on and off the debate team at Skyline High School, sometimes showing up, sometimes not, but always quick on his feet, leading with his wit and his gift of gab even if he couldn’t be bothered with the preparation.
  14. gab
    light informal conversation for social occasions
    He was the one who could do a backflip off a traffic barrier. The one who sauntered on and off the debate team at Skyline High School, sometimes showing up, sometimes not, but always quick on his feet, leading with his wit and his gift of gab even if he couldn’t be bothered with the preparation.
  15. query
    pose a question
    What is that, someone queried.
Created on Wed Mar 21 21:20:58 EDT 2018 (updated Fri Aug 08 14:18:16 EDT 2025)

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