Module 5: Bud, Not Buddy

Summary


Bud Caldwell has been bouncing from orphanage to foster home and back ever since his mother died four years ago. After his latest foster home fails to work out, thanks to a cruel foster-brother, Bud decides to take off and try to find his father. He makes his way through 1937 Michigan, complete with Hoovervilles and attempted train-jumping.
Bud eventually makes his way to Grand Rapids, with the help of a man named Lefty Lewis. Unfortunately, his supposed-father, Herman Calloway, is distinctly unfriendly, and doesn't believe Bud's claims. However, Calloway's friends and bandmates convince him to let Bud stick around for a while, and he does some traveling with the band. Eventually, it is revealed that Bud is Calloway's grandson, not his son.

Citation


Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not buddy. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning.

Impression


The plot of this story was not my cup of tea, but Bud is a very charming narrator with a unique and believable voice, which really saved the book for me. His observations and rules were funny, and the setting felt very real.

Review


"A 10-year-old boy in Depression-era Michigan sets out to find the man he believes to be his father. "While the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis imbues them with an aura of hope, and he makes readers laugh even when he sets up the most daunting scenarios," said PW in our Best Books citation. Ages 9-12"

(2002 January 7). [Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy, by C.P. Curtis]. PWxyz, LLC. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-440-41328-8

"Gr 4-7-When 10-year-old Bud Caldwell runs away from his new foster home, he realizes he has nowhere to go but to search for the father he has never known: a legendary jazz musician advertised on some old posters his deceased mother had kept. A friendly stranger picks him up on the road in the middle of the night and deposits him in Grand Rapids, MI, with Herman E. Calloway and his jazz band, but the man Bud was convinced was his father turns out to be old, cold, and cantankerous. Luckily, the band members are more welcoming; they take him in, put him to work, and begin to teach him to play an instrument. In a Victorian ending, Bud uses the rocks he has treasured from his childhood to prove his surprising relationship with Mr. Calloway. The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist. Other characters are exaggerations: the good ones (the librarian and Pullman car porter who help him on his journey and the band members who embrace him) are totally open and supportive, while the villainous foster family finds particularly imaginative ways to torture their charge. However, readers will be so caught up in the adventure that they won't mind. Curtis has given a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud."

Isaacs, K. (1999, September 1). [[Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy, by C.P. Curtis]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Uses


Lots of libraries have display cases, and it would be interesting to get a local historical society to loan out some Depression era posters and artifacts for a month, and promote this book to kids.