Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy captures the heart and hope of a 10-year-old orphan during the Great Depression. Bud Caldwell—armed with his suitcase and a list of “Rules for Having a Funner Life”—sets off to find his father, a jazz musician, taking readers on a road trip filled with laughter, heartbreak, and a little jazz magic. The fast-paced chapters and Bud’s witty voice make it a hit with my students, especially those who don’t normally pick up historical fiction. It’s a story about show more courage, belonging, and the power of family—new and old. show less

I am so sorry that it took me years to discover this book! If you enjoy reading historical fiction for kids, The Mighty Miss Malone will not disappoint. It has everything that exceptional children's literature should have: an engaging narrator, humor, and characters you care about, along with universal truths that will linger in your mind long after you close the book. Set in Indiana and Michigan during the Great Depression, young Deza relates the series of events that cause the Malone show more family to lose their home, their jobs, and finally, their ability to stay together. Throughout it all, Deza's irrepressible optimism in the face of poverty and racism keeps the tone light, and readers will be inspired by the Malones enduring love for each other. show less

Before I started kindergarten, I spent the days with my grandparents. I would nap in the gap behind their chairs and couch in the living room -- not because I was attempting to heal and forgive myself, but because it was a cozy place to nap.

The Watsons starts as a warm family story with vibes similar to A Christmas Story, and then BAM: remember the turmoil of the South in 1963? This book tells the story of the "Weird Watsons", a family with a big brown car that has a record player installed. show more The same car that eldest child Byron got his lips stuck to the window during a harsh winter. A car that was already old when they got it but with lots of tender-loving care, it carries them to Birmingham, Alabama from Flint, Michigan one summer.

They're traveling to visit family and to drop off Byron, who's been behaving like an absolute menace (starting fires, bullying, straightening his hair!). All seems well when they arrive, but they can't escape the horrors of 1960s Alabama for long. First, Kenny meets the Wool Pooh, Winnie's evil twin, a terrible beast that tries to drown kids. After meeting Wool Pooh, Kenny knows blind panic. Then, a few days later, a bomb explodes and blows up any sense of safety he had left.

One of my favorite parts is watching Byron step up. The same kid who’s been acting like a juvenile delinquent becomes an older brother who knows exactly what to do when Kenny disappears into himself -- pulling him back from behind the couch and helping him heal.

Reading this now also has that extra layer of UGH! HISTORY JUST KEEPS REPEATING: people letting fear-driven hate eat away at their humanity—and still claiming the high ground. It’s depressing how old that pattern is.

Ultimately, this book is about family and is full of love and humor. I finished it feeling a mix of love-for-family and fury-at-history. I didn’t love it quite as much as The Mighty Miss Malone (I adored Deza's verbosity), but I’m definitely in for more Christopher Paul Curtis.

(I'm trying to read books I own this year so I'm thinking next I'll visit 1968 with the Gaither Sisters in One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.) show less

On the whole, a great book. The dialect is a little hard to follow when you start out, but gets easier as time goes on. I was surprised that the main character is white, but I liked where the story went. This is my second slave-catcher book in a week, and I have to say that is rough -- it's horrifying and appalling and a terrible time in our history, but then so many times are. Makes me wish I was Canadian, at least where American slavery is concerned.