Christopher Paul Curtis writes this exciting and sometimes sad, sometimes happy tale of Bud, not Buddy, an orphan growing up in the Great Depression era who discovers himself while searching for a man depicted on a poster he has whom he believes is his father. His journey begins when he gets in trouble at his foster home and spends the night locked in the garden shed. There, he hits a nest of hornets, is stung, and hops a train with his friend and fellow orphan, Bugs. After meeting some people along the way, Bud is picked up by Lefty Lewis, a man who ultimately leads him to Herman E. Calloway, the man on the poster. He convinces the Dusky Devastators, the band in which Calloway plays, to take him on tour with them. Calloway does not accept that he might be Bud's father, but he accepts him into the group anyway. After seeing Herman E. Calloway write on a stone, Bud reveals the collection of similar stones he inherited from his mother. He is accused of stealing, but the other band members step in and defend him. The story ends with the revelation that Bud is the son of Herman E. Calloway's long-lost daughter. The grandfather and grandson are then united and Bud finds family at last.
Personal Impressions
I have to say that this was probably my favorite book I've read in this class. I love Christopher Paul Curtis's style, the way he makes Bud such a realistic character and sets the story in a time period of great importance in the United States. It was funny, too. When Bud exacts revenge on Todd, the son of his foster parents, for instance and even when he hits the hornets' nest thinking it is a vampire bat, the story is told in a way that makes readers laugh and think, "Yeah, I probably thought like that at one point, too!" Bud is so convicted in his beliefs, no matter how silly or desperate, that readers empathize with him. I mean, I hated that his foster parents were so neglectful that they would put this ten year old boy in the shed for something he didn't even really do. I grew up with a family, but I've always wondered how people who didn't feel. I think they feel much like Bud. The ending of the book was perfect, sound and well-written. Knowing that Bud finally had a family gave me a sense of fulfillment in the story. I actually checked out Curtis's new book, The Mighty Miss Malone, which is a spin-off of one of the characters, Deza Malone, from this story. I can't wait to read it because I just know I will love it as much as I loved this book.
Professional Review
The following review is from Booklist:
Bud, Not Buddy.
Bud, 10, is on the run from the orphanage and from yet another mean foster family. His mother died when he was 6, and he wants to find his father. Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, this is an Oliver Twist kind of foundling story, but it’s told with affectionate comedy, like the first part of Curtis’ The Watsons Go to Birmingham (1995). On his journey, Bud finds danger and violence (most of it treated as farce), but more often, he finds kindness—in the food line, in the library, in the Hooverville squatter camp, on the road—until he discovers who he is and where he belongs. Told in the boy’s naive, desperate voice, with lots of examples of his survival tactics (“Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar out of Yourself”), this will make a great read-aloud. Curtis says in an afterword that some of the characters are based on real people, including his own grandfathers, so it’s not surprising that the rich blend of tall tale, slapstick, sorrow, and sweetness has the wry, teasing warmth of family folklore.
— Hazel Rochman
Since this book is set during the Great Depression era, it could definitely compliment both a social studies and ELAR lesson. The librarian could pair with one of these teachers to do a mini research project over the time period. The students could write their findings into a class Wiki, such as Wiki Spaces, as a means of sharing their research. The librarian could oversee this part of the assignment as well as provide resources to the teachers and students on the Great Depression era.
References
Curtis, C.P. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte.
Rochman, H. (1999). Books for youth: Fiction: Historical fiction. Retrieved from www.booklistonline.com.
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