Bus Stop Buddies: The Showdown

by Adam Angel, Preston J. Walls, Amy M. Le

Julius Greenfield is the new kid at school. Not only did his family move to a new state over the summer, but they enrolled him in public school. You see, Montessori school was all he ever knew so starting at a big public school was scary.Problems begin for Julius when Jamie Winston, the school bully, picks on Julius for being a small fifth grader. Every day at school there is something new, from name-calling to physical attacks.To make matters worse, Julius and Jamie are on the same team to perform in the school talent show. Can they learn to accept their differences to win the talent competition, or will their dislike for one another ruin their fifth-grade experience and get them into big trouble?Bus Stop Buddies is a middle-grade fiction about life lessons such as friendship, acceptance, and inclusion. The cast of characters Jules Greenfield, an Amerasian fifth grader who must find his footing in a new environment* Jamie Winston, the bully who comes from a rich family and is raised by an au pair* Stacey Barringer, a nonbinary, gender-fluid child who is trying to find their way toward acceptance* Lily Jaxon, a small adoptee from China with a big personality* Taylor Bridges, a blind teenager who sees more than people give him credit for* Forest Jonathan, a third grader from the Choctaw Nation, built like a tree but gentle and shy* Rowan Barr, a third grader who loves the color purple and dinosaurs, and is a walking encyclopedia* Magdalena Velázquez, the bus driver who loves to teach the children Spanish through songs* Spencer Nash, the fifth grader who is obsessed with his hair and uses humor to avoid trouble* Rosie, the pocket-size American bully who loves her ball and thinks she's one of the kids

180 pages, Hardcover

Published March 28, 2024

Reviews

[Charlotte Chiew]

It looked like a regular first book in your typical MG series, but there's so much more to this!
I'm so surprised to have learnt about Geography, Ecology, Native American tribes, Vietnamese and Chinese culture, Spanish words, dog breeds, and of course English Vocabulary! All the while enjoying a heartwarming, uplifting story that encouraged me to help my kid navigate his own episodes of being bullied at school.
There's also an awesome music playlist so you can listen to the songs (that the characters listen to).
Plus, all the characters are so real and relatable.

LOVE it! Can't what to read more about their next adventures...

[Brianna Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Bus Stop Buddies in one day. Never have I felt someone so understood what I went through in school. Julian is an amazing kid who just wants to make friends. Unfortunately for him not all kids are as nice as he is. The struggle that Julian faces is so relatable for most kids and adults a like.

I also found that the inclusion of a character with disabilities to bring an element that was unexpected but well done. As someone with multiple disabilities I feel that it shows others what our experience is like.

All in all I would give this book 10/5 stars!!!

[Susan Kite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great middle grade story

Loved the characters as well as the story. There can’t be too many books dealing with bullying especially good ones like this. Loved the color illustrations too. Bravo!

[Tyler Robins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best book I have ever read