Bethany Crandell's "Summer on the Short Bus"

Bethany Crandell writes young adult novels because the feelings that come with life's "first" times are too good not to relive again and again. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters.

Here Crandell dreamcasts an adaptation of Summer on the Short Bus, her debut novel:

I’m a visual writer, so it’s imperative that I have an image of a character in my head as I’m writing otherwise the details of that character will never fully develop. Here’s how I would cast some of the roles in Summer on the Short Bus.

Cricket: The word-vomiting, bitchy m/c.
AnnaSophia Robb (The Carrie Diaries) is my dream actress for this role. She can do snarky, cute, endearing and frustrating all at the same time--which is what we need to pull off a complicated, unlikeable character like Cricket.

Quinn: The love interest & Zac Efron lookalike.
This kid is Efron’s doppelgänger, so of course Mr. Efron is the obvious choice. (The clock is ticking, though. Too much longer and ole Zac won’t be able to pass for a teenager. This scares me.)

Rainbow: The happy-go-lucky camp director.
I’m hoping to persuade Julianne Moore and Carrot Top to conceive a child specifically for this role.

Claire: One of the campers.
Jaime Brewer. (American Horror Story.) Though it’s a supporting role, Claire is such an endearing character that you can’t skimp on the talent. Jaime is a rock star at sentiment.

Aidan: A drop-in camper.
James Maslow (Big Time Rush) We’d have to use a little peroxide for the needed blond effect, but this guy has the ease and smile to pull off the cocky, wheel-chair bound character of Aidan.

Visit Bethany Crandell's website.

The Page 69 Test: Summer on the Short Bus.

--Marshal Zeringue