Bud, Not Buddy (1999)

Bud contends with whatever life throws his way and in the historical context of the great depression this is a great deal. He loses his mother and is moved from foster homes to group homes, pushing himself to find ways to consider and move forward in the midst of so much hardship. He's an amazing character!

Eventually he strikes out on his own, leaving the foster system and moving on with a friend to try to find answers to his many questions. Like many readers, Bud sees answers to the questions nearest to his heart. He becomes convinced that his mother left him a path to discover his father. With his methods for optimism and getting through Bud can teach so much. We all are finding ways and many readers will learn through him more about the great depression, particularly about the African American community. ( )

Bud, not Buddy, sir or ma'am, was his response when asked his name. His mother died and he had to go to an orphanage. He had been in and out of families homes when finally he sets out on his own to see if he can find his father or some relation to him. He finds a man he believes is his father but it turns out to be his grandfather and it is his first learning of his daughters passing. I enjoyed this book, I found it interesting the plot, the problem, and the character who seemed like a good child just needing a good home. I did notice some misspellings not sure it if was done on purpose, I feel like it was. I was scared when Bud was travelling by foot and the stranger pulled over, but it ended well. ( )

"Bud, Not Buddy" is a tale of adventure and bravery. Set during the Great Depression, Bud is a 10 year old boy who has been orphaned since the age of 6. Being that he has been in group homes and temporary foster houses Bud has learned to fend from himself and push forward through diversity.
I greatly enjoyed this fictional story set against a hugely important time in American history. I felt the writing style was captivating and engaging. I liked how Christopher Paul Curtis, the author, was able to put language which would've been common in a child of Bud's circumstance during the depression; phrases such as, "my eyes don't cry no more”, for example, are throughout the book. I liked this little touch which gave a glimpse into what Bud might have been like but the book wasn't overpowered by this detail.
"Bud Not Buddy" is an endearing coming of age story about a boy who doesn't always find what he is searching for but finds something more important, himself. ( )

Since losing his mother four years earlier, Bud (not Buddy) has bounced around from foster homes to group homes. When his new foster home proves to be just another awful situation, Bud has had enough. He initially sets out with a friend, both determined to find their own way in the world. However, when they get separated, Bud becomes convinced that his mother left him clues that would lead him to his father. Bud sets off on an adventure to follow his mother's clues, but when he finds the man at the end of the trail he finds much more than he anticipated.

Bud, Not Buddy is an interesting novel. It provides insight into the extreme difficulties experienced during the Great Depression, as well as the additional challenges faced by African-Americans. Bud himself is an intriguing character. He takes most of the hardships in his life in stride and copes by using his own "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself" to make sense of the world. Although Bud's travels are ostensibly a search for his father, the novel is really a journey of self-discovery. ( )

BUD, NOT BUDDY is a heartwarming tale of a young boy from Flint, Michigan. In the story, his mother has died young and left him only with a suitcase. The boy is mistreated in his foster home and ends up escaping to find the man that he believes is his father. Living without his real family and often having to fend for himself, Bud is forced to come up with a long list of rules to follow just to get by. Although Bud is reminded of his rules often throughout his journey, it is evident throughout the story that these rules are not illustrative of his character. In fact,when he feels safe, Bud often chooses to ignore his own rules altogether. In the end, Bud finds that his Mother was telling the truth when she told him that "when one door closes another one opens" (I found this to be the main theme of the book) and that wasn't a bad thing. Bud thought the only doors that would open for him would lead to more trouble and heartache. However, the doors that opened after he escaped that awful foster home led him to his real home. Although the ending was so beautiful and heartwarming, I found myself really wishing the story would continue so that I may see Bud and his Grandfather build a relationship. Also, I'd like to follow Bud's music career! Great book! ( )