Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | An Engaging Adventure for Reluctant Readers

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Bud, Not Buddy

	Bud, Not Buddy Christopher Paul Curtis Laurel Leaf, 2004 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 457 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

It?s 1936, in Flint, Michigan, and when 10-year-old Bud decides to hit the road to find his father, nothing can stop him.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Bud, Not Buddy

My 3rd grade class really enjoyed listening to this story. The adventures of Bud, while many times being funny, touch my students and help them to see what another 8 year old in a past era had to endure. Great story line.

An Engaging Adventure for Reluctant Readers

I am the parent of a 6th-grade reluctant reader. Luckily, he will still cuddle up to listen to a good book read out loud, though his preference is for plots involving dragons, elves, and convoluted quests. I have occasionally been able to slip in a more realistic novel, but more often than not, my son will dismiss it as "BORING" just as I am getting absorbed. "Bud, Not Buddy" has been an exception. Bud comes across as a real kid with a real kid's voice and my son has found himself drawn to the character as well as the adventure (and it is quite an adventure that Bud has). I appreciate Curtis's ability to conjure Flint, Michigan, and the Depression so vividly for the reader and I love the incidental learning that goes along with the story, from the existence of Hooverville(s) to the early days of unionizing. I highly recommend this book for 10-12 year-old kids and their parents. It is a wonderful book to read out loud.

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Bud, Not Buddy_Literature Review

It is in our most difficult times that we discover our true character and that of those around us. This type of discovery is at the heart of the tale of Bud, the 10 year-old main character of Bud, Not Buddy (Random House 1999), a novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. In this wonderful piece of historical fiction, Curtis artfully crafts Bud's story, weaving together inspiration, humor, and the realities of the Great Depression to create a heartwarming and upbeat story about the power of the human spirit.

Bud's story is a fast-paced narrative describing a resilient, determined orphan in search of a new home at a time that was difficult for many Americans. After running away from an abusive foster family, Bud is forced to move through a difficult world in search of a compassionate and caring new home that he hopes he will find with the man he believes to be his father. Armed with a beat-up suitcase filled with all of his possessions and only a flyer as his guide, Bud sets out to find a better life and ends up finding more than he could have imagined.

In his search, Bud encounters a number of helpful and interesting individuals who assist him along the way. At one point, Bud meets a homeless family who helps him sneak into a line to get bread. Bud also encounters a shantytown, known as a Hooverville, where families sleep in tents after becoming homeless. Bud meets families who wait while fathers and husbands hop trains in search of work. Bud's tale recounts the difficulties for many individuals, especially African Americans, during the Great Depression. Throughout his travels, Bud encounters the difficulties of finding food, shelter, and money, as he looks to others and his own strength to continue his journey.

Fortunately, Bud meets a number of individuals who are willing to share the little bit that they have in order to help him. Bud's search eventually leads him to the man in the poster that he believed to be his father. Although Bud's final destination may not be exactly what he thought when he set out, it is exactly what he needed. Despite the difficult times, Bud's journey is a heartwarming tale about the compassion of strangers, the beauty of music, and the power of family.

Curtis' novel is a great read for families and a perfect selection for middle school children. The 243-page novel moves quickly as Curtis' narrative-style leaps off the page. Based on the Fry readability formula, this book has a fifth grade reading level, but it may be a great for students above that level as well. Although the realities of the Great Depression may be difficult for younger readers to grasp, the life lessons that Bud encounters are valuable for any student. Despite the bleakness and difficulty of the historical setting, Curtis does an excellent job of describing the strength and compassion of the individuals. I personally enjoyed this book a great deal and would recommend it to others.

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A pretty good book

The book I read was Bud, Not Buddy. It was by Christopher Paul Curtis. He also wrote The Watsons Go to Birmingham. This book was Historical fiction.
In this book Bud was adopted from an orphanage. He goes to live with this really mean family who locks him in a shed. He breaks out and runs away to a library. On the second night at the library his friend Bugs finds him. Together they walk to Hooperville. They were going to hop a train that left from Hooperville the next morning. Bugs makes the train but Bud doesn't. Bud walks back to Flint and back to the library to get direction on how to get to another town called Great Rapids. He was told it was a twenty-four hour walk. He started to go to Great Rapids that evening. One guy saw Bud and asked where he was from and why he was walking to. Bud lied and said he was from Great Rapids. The guy drives Bud to Great Rapids and drops him off at his dad's house. Bud's dad didn't know he had a son so he was confused.
I like this book because it tell me about people who aren't as lucked as I am. I think this book would be good for greedy kids because it teaches them how they are luckier than others. I was inspired by this book because of the message it sent out. I recommend this book for all kids because it is really good.

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easy-to-read coming of age tale of a smart kid in the Great Depression

Ten-year-old Bud, living during the Great Depression in Flint, Michigan, was left after his mother's death with only a suitcase of band fliers and a bag of stones. He leaves his latest foster home and ventures on a Steinbeck-like odyssey to find his father--whom his believes to be the man on the fliers. Excellent coming of age tale that beautifully captures the voice of both a young adult and the time period. Grade: B+

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