Stop For My School Bus...Or Else: The Misadventures of One School Bus Driver

by Frank Racioppi

READ THE REVISED EDITION WITH UPDATES ABOUT SCHOOL BUS DRIVING DURING THE PANDEMIC. THIS NEW VERSION ALSO HAS GREATER NARRATIVE COHERENCE AND CLARITY.The optimal way to summarize the book is to introduce you to the characters that inhabit the book.First, meet the mom who drops off her daughter at the bus stop, watches her adorable Hayley get on the bus and then follows right behind the bus in her Benz. Then, one of the most heinous criminals of all time drives right past the school bus even though the red lights are flashing, and the students are crossing the street to board the bus.A Grisham courtroom drama pales in comparison to the court case that results from these traffic violations.Journey into the dark world of the Department of Motor Vehicles, where bus drivers take their written test while oppressed government workers actively cheer for their swift and ignominious failure. After bureaucratic hell, we navigate the maze of the school bus seating chart, where parents' petty disputes make a stable seating chart as difficult as deciphering your monthly cable bill.There's even a history of the school bus that is short enough to ensure that your sleep is officially classified as a micro-nap.The cast of characters also includes a cursing kindergarten student with an angelic face and the tongue of the devil, fruitcakes received as Christmas gifts that have a half-life greater than Uranium-235 and a tooth fairy whose financial outlays to children ranges from extravagance to parsimony.This book makes seemingly random left and right turns to investigate how commuters risk serious injury to get past a school bus; how parents have their own time-space continuum with regard to bus pickup schedules; and how some students learn valuable life lessons on the bus ride to or from school.This trip to learn about the noble school bus includes detours into humor, sarcasm, irony, tragedy, and even redemption, but the book never veers from its journey into the dystopian world of the school bus driver where true is false, to be on time is to be late, and all students should be classified as gifted.

Genres: Nonfiction

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

I am a south-Jersey based author who writes and manages two blogs on podcasting, Ear Worthy on Medium and Podcast Reports on Blogger. I am also the author of five non-fiction books -- The Crazy World of the School Bus, Hit Pause For Life, A Suburban Prison, Ear Worthy, and The COVID Hotel.
My first novel -- Away From Home -- was published in May 2021.
In June 2022, I published my first contemporary romance novel -- For the Love of Books.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to author Mr. Frank for this FREE Kindle copy of his book Stop for My School Bus.... And thanks to Goodreads for hosting the opportunity.

I liked it. Some humor, some sadness, some madness (some people can just be nasty). Kids, especially the little 'uns, can be fascinating things. The book contains a first hand view into some of this. Along with the stories are a number of interesting facts about drivers and school systems. Nice to place the 'Notes' at the end to back up the information. I found it interesting, given the authors background, that this book was allowed to be published with so many editing errors. A finished, polished version would have made a very good book.

[Erin Shuman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty freaking awesome!

I won this as an ebook from Goodreads and it DID NOT disappoint!...I tried to win it because I really liked the title...it made me laugh...as I read it I got more engrossed in the little stories throughout the book...it was really neat to learn about the ins and outs of being a school bus driver and the mechanics of a bus...it was informative and hilarious!...the author had such an amazing way with words that had him "keeping it real" while encouraging me to laugh at the hurdles life can throw at you sometimes (i.e. angry parents and misbehaving students for Frank)...I HIGHLY recommend this book!!

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories from a school bus driver

I won this on Goodreads and I was excited to read it because of the time I've worked in schools. Some of the stories were nice and interesting and the writer really did show how important the bus driver can be in the students' lives. There were some grammatical errors, as I saw in other reviews, but not enough to bother about; it was never difficult to understand. However, I was put off by the style. There was an attempt at presenting a folksy voice but a lot of the descriptions were kind of mean.

[Susan Burlew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and heartwarming! "Mr Frank" tells about driving a school bus for ten years. Lots of info about school bus history and technology that I was surprised to find interesting. Mostly stories about the children good and not so good. Throw in some psycho parents and impatient drivers and attacking turkeys. Throughout the book you can feel how much he enjoyed interacting with the students. Would recommend!

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read, but there were many spelling and grammar mistakes that should have more than one set of eyes looking at this. Some of the references may be dated and could be confusing to younger people, although I understood most of it.

However, I liked what it was like to be in the bus driver's shoes and would recommend just to get an understanding of what a bus driver goes through during a school year.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I won a copy in a Goodreads Giveaway*

Fun and really interesting! I haven't thought about riding the bus in a very long time, but Frank has some good stories to tell. A quick, light read that may have you thinking back on your own days on the school bus and appreciated the driver a little bit more

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this, because I worked in the school system in Florida where I was an ESE Associate in an elementary school, and was required to ride a bus every morning and afternoon. The stories told here are similar to situations I came across. Except for the turkey story lol. As they say truth is stranger than fiction, and your days as a bus driver prove that. Thanks for proving that.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book.

I never thought of bus drivers, as low on the food chain. I have respect for them. I could not deal with kids like that.

[Cheryl Bonner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stop For My School Bus...Or Else

This book was witty, humorous, and filled with empathy for the drivers and the students. As a former educator, it reminded me that everyone who touches the life of a child has an impact. I truly enjoyed Mr. Frank’s adventures and hope every bus driver can experience the wonder of children.