The Short Bus

I have finished reading Jonathan Mooney's "Short Bus" and also several reviews of the book. I thought the book was okay - no more or less than okay. The concept - a former "sped" kid buys a "short bus" and travels the country talking to people of various disability - is interesting, but the execution was somewhat pedestrian and, as another reviewer noted, somewhat whiny.The overall "message" (or theme) of the book is that people with disabilities have (rather than are) disabilities. There is, it's true, a certain inadvertent tendency in most of us to reduce people to their disability. Moody interweaves his own story of a dissatisfactory youth (he is ADD but was labeled stupid) with others' similar struggles: several parents of children he met on his journey were engaged in lawsuits against their child's school.But Moody often takes a worthy idea too far, in suggesting, as he often does, that disability is more a social construction than a biological reality, and often gets quite "whiny" about this. He frequently lambasts those who try to "fix the disabled," such as believers in Cochlear implants for the deaf. (In a contradiction, he also chastizes teachers who don't recognize and accomodate for disabilities like ADHD, leaving us to wonder if we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't.)Meeting the "characters" - an ADHD artist, a blind/deaf girl, a student with cerebral palsy confined to a wheelchair, etc - was interesting, but I never felt like I "got to know" any of them. In an irony, Moody's intent of letting us "get to know" the people behind the disaiblities backfires, because in the end, I felt like the only thing I DID get to know were their disabilities. The encounters were brief (one lasting only two pages) and Moody's "discussions" with the students were never really illuminating.In the end, the saving grace of the book was the strong narrative and "story line" of it. Moody had an interesting concept and, while it never really delivered much of what was promised, it was interesting in its own right.As a special educator, I am glad to see books like this (and films like "Autism: the Musical"), but really wished for a bit more insight into the "characters" and a bit less whiny preaching about the injustice of being disabled.

So this book came highly recommended and was also mandatory reading material for my major. Personally I did not feel as though the ideas were all that new, wild, or enlightening. But then again, I am from Olympia... so I guess  "weird" is not that weird to me. Now that I live in NYC I am surprises at how bland and narrow minded people can be, even in a huge and "progressive" city. Apparently not everyone appreciates individuality. The book is a good read with some interesting characters. I just didn't feel like it was as epic and transcending as some people indicated to me. I thought he was actually pretty "normal" all along.

This outstanding book is a must-read for everyone navigating the murky waters of public education and facing discrimination due to a perceived or real disability. Mooney does a bangup job dispelling the myth of normalcy and the damage. Anyone who cares about equity, fair play and justice for all students must read this book!

I loved this book. The Short Bus tells of Mooney's coast to coast trip across American is a short, yellow bus interviewing special needs individuals. As the trip progresses he not only details the unique and inspirational people he meets, but also develops his own philosophy of what it means to be labeled "special needs" in American. He gives an enlightening history and background to the plight of those who struggle with being a special needs learner in America in the past 100 years. Mooney himself was designated a special needs learner as a child and articulates his own struggle then and now with that label. This book is insightful and thought provoking. It is also a fun read as the reader travels across the country on this unlikely adventure. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It really brought to light what it is like to have any type of disability. We meet several individuals throughout the book and the author makes it very personal. However I think at times the narrator could be hypocritical about his own disability. My favorite theme of the book is really the definition of normal. I think there's no normal no matter who you are. I think it is important to embrace uniqueness. Overall very good book especially for high school or college students to read like myself.

I loved all the characters her chose to,see on his tour on the short bus. Cookie was my favorite...and Katie.I was an educator and taught ADHD, ADD, and other disabilities...this was uplifting.

This was a required book by my graduate program, and I am ashamed to have supported the author. It reminded me of a documentary created by a filmmaker only because he likes to be seen. The author instills his lifestyle and shenanigans in the book even though it is irrelevant to the story or the subject. He highlights his drinking binges and inappropriate interactions with kids with disabilities- including judging, staring, swearing, and lying.The repeated theme of the book is ridiculing people for trying to better themselves. This is shown by his rudeness regarding a student with a reading disability who receives summer tutoring. He discusses how effective this particular type of instruction is, then states the student would be better off in soccer practice. He comments that students with hearing impairment should not learn how to speak; he called speech for deaf "forced assimilation". Of course he had to work hard to change and learn to control his disability or he never would have gotten as far as he has in life. Furthermore, he ridicules his friends who has ADHD for not becoming "normal". While there are a few pages of solid information, most of the book is judgmental and irrelevant.

This book certainly has nuggets of gold, but the amount of excess, empty content in this book damages it. It is a very chatty narrative, as one review puts it on the back page. That's exactly right: it's too chatty.That being said, it offers excellent insight into the lives of people who are different, and not just for learning disabilities. It creates empathy and understanding, showing us the value in everyone regardless of whether they fit into our typical molds of "intelligent" or "hard-working".I feel like someone who never did fit in as a child for other reasons, and it's great to hear from someone who had similar experiences. Being different as a kid has profound effects, and what's complex is that kids don't want to lose themselves in the process of fitting in. That's absolutely right. Good on him for standing up for the weird kids, the different kids! Good on him for accepting himself and writing this book. it's empowering!It's a good book, but to really get value out of it, I encourage you to skim and skim throughout it, stopping at every chunk of gold. Because like I said, there is a lot of excess, unnecessary content.

This arrived in pristine condition and was a gift for my mother. She is enjoying it.

I have a grandson with ADHD and I see him in this book in so many ways, Its helpful to understand why his uniqness doesnt have to be a negative. we need to help him find his path to embrace whats different. Schools are harming these kids. i loved this book

Ein sehr lohnenswertes Buch, besonders interessant für alle Eltern und Menschen, die pädagogisch arbeiten. Man wird auf humorvoller aber ehrlicher Weise dazu motiviert, ja gezwungen, die eigenen Vorstellungen von ‚normal sein‘ kritisch zu reflektieren.

Very enjoyable read as well as very educational! I am now re-thinking everything about what is 'normal'! Would highly recommend this one to all!