This is a great book that tells of Bud trying to survive. Not only is Bud going through his personal struggles but it also during the time of the Great Depression and things are not great for anyone. By running away he is only looking for his family and some place to call home.

In this Newbery Award winning novel, we see life during the Great Depression through the eyes of an innocent ten-year-old. Bud is an abused orphan in search of a family and home. He escapes his foster home and sets out to find who he thinks is his father. Bud discovers friends and obstacles along the way. I think this is an excellent book for children, as it offers an interesting historical perspective on the Great Depression. ( )

I loved this book! Top notch characters, especially Bud and his foster parents and Herman E. Calloway.Bud's mother has died, leaving his with a suitcase full of flyers advertising the amazing band of Herman E. Calloway. When another time in foster care ends up with Bud locked in a shed, Bud decides it is time to seek out Herman E. Calloway, who he feels must be his elusive father. Herman E. Calloway turns out to be one tough cookie and not at all what Bud had hoped for, but, in a roundabout way, everything works out in the end. ( )

This is the story of a orphan boy who is on the search for his father. He escapes an orphanage and a mean foster home to try and ride the rails with his friend, Bugs. He misses that chance and goes to hitchhike to his father. He ends up being picked up and spends some time with "Lefty." He delivers him to Herman E Calloway only for Bud to discover, he is not his father. After some time, they find out that he is his grandfather.

There are a lot of metaphors and things written from a kids point of view "human bean." I liked the vivid imagery when describing the band practicing. I would not want children to read this book for a couple of reasons. It is an unrealistic view of the Depression. Very view people lived that way. It is also written from a child's perspective and I would not want kids to run away thinking "It sounds cool. I read it in a book."

If we were studying this, we would read an accurate account of the Depression. We would also do some research into those who rode the rails. I would also try to get the students interested in the concept of the food distribution during the Depression.

Bud is a 10 year-old orphan growing up in the Depression-era who runs away from his foster family to find his real dad with the help of some keepsakes that his mother left him after she died. When he finally meets who he thinks is his father, they realize that Bud is his grandson and not his son, which helps them both find closure to the death of Bud's mother.

This book is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and the John Newbery Medal, and is told from the point of view of young Bud, who has had to learn some important lessons while growing up and surviving as an orphan in Flint, Michigan. He shares these numerous lessons with the reader in "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself" and sometimes has to deceive others in order to protect himself as he runs away from his uncaring foster family, stays in a Hooverville shanty town, catches a ride to Grand Rapids to find his father, and to be able to stay with Herman Calloway's and be amongst his caring band mates. Bud is a well-developed character, as his strengths and weaknesses are revealed throughout the story. He desperately wants to be a part of a family once again, but sometimes has to lie in order to protect himself from being sent back to the orphanage. His innocence and goodness are shown throughout the story, but his need for belonging can best be remembered when he starts to cry at the restaurant with the band when he is feels happiness and belonging among them. Although he feels mortified, he cannot control the tears and is able to find comfort in the arms of the lead singer of the band.

Bud's faults and goodness make him real and this helps him to be a character that readers can relate to. Young adults of all ages can enjoy Bud's struggle to survive and stay positive throughout his journey to find his father. Bud has had to grow up in many ways since becoming an orphan, and he is mature in some ways that sometimes he does not even understand. Even though he is mature for his age, he is still a child and wants what we all desire: to be loved. This heartfelt story is humorous and the plot moves rather quickly, making this a book I would definitely recommend to any young adult!