Known at his old school as Brainiac, Lucas is determined to get in with the cool kids at his new school. That means befriending the troublemakers who, like him, take the 121 Express bus home every day. The action in Monique Polak’s lively story takes place almost exclusively on this bus, where “losers,” the in-crowd, and those in between have each claimed a space. Lucas gains a coveted seat at the back, but only by compromising his principles. Lucas has to evaluate the price of popularity. 121 Express explores weighty topics – racism, self-respect, compassion – without preaching, through an honest narrator to whom readers can relate. (Ages 10 – 14) mRb