What Do Kids Talk About on the Bus? Former Driver Tells All in New Book
Tom Brandon, a retired school bus driver and teacher, shares insightful and humorous conversations from children who rode his bus over the years.


In his new book, retired school bus driver and teacher Tom Brandon shares insightful and humorous conversations from children who rode his bus.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A new book from retired school bus driver Tom Brandon collects the lively conversations of children who rode his bus over the years.
Brandon spent more than 30 years as an educator, mostly at the same rural school in north Alabama. He served in various capacities, from teacher to coach to bus driver.
Brandon shares insightful and humorous gems from his passengers in his new book, Mr. Brandon’s School Bus: What I Heard on the Way to School, published by NewSouth Books.
According to the publisher, the book highlights the uncanny ability of children to teach adults a thing or two — and to reveal things they overhear at home that their parents don’t want repeated elsewhere.
Larry Lee, an Alabama education blogger, had this to say of the book: “With the keen eye and ear of a good storyteller, Tom Brandon has chronicled the great adventures of his riders with a talent that makes you see the smile and hear the giggles.”
Mr. Brandon’s School Bus is available through local and online retailers, or from the publisher at newsouthbooks.com/mrbrandon.
More Management

5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →
