Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, C.P.  (1999).  Bud, Not Buddy.  Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

After one night at the Amos', but decides that he is tired of being in and out of foster homes, so he decides to look for his father, and he has a good idea of where he can find him.  Will Bud find his father and the love he deserves?

Bud Caldwell is a 10-year-old orphan who lives in Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression. Since his mother died when he was six, Bud has been in and out of several foster homes, and he decides that enough is enough when Todd Amos, his foster brother at his most recent foster home, beats him up and makes it look like Bud beat him up. Instead of going back to the orphanage, which he calls The Home, Bud decides that it is time for him to run away and find his father, whom he has never met. The only clues he has are fliers advertising a band: Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. He knows that there is something about Herman E. Calloway, and he is certain that Herman is his father; there are just too many similarities between him and Bud. When Bud finally meets Mr. Calloway (as is proper for a child to call a grown-up), he is not met with welcome arms, and soon Bud discovers just how he and Mr. Calloway are connected, and it is not at all what he thought. In the process, he discovers where he belongs, who he is, and finds that he is now surrounded by people who will love and care for him the way he deserves.

I think tweens will like this book because they can sympathize with Bud as he experiences different unjust situations. They also root for Bud as he defeats his enemies and gets closer to finding his father. As a teacher, I like that this book is historical fiction because we can discuss some of the historical aspects of the story such as the Great Depression, establishing unions, and pullman porters. It is also filled with figurative language and good vocabulary. We can also have great discussions about setting, characters, theme, and other literary elements.  The title refers to what Bud's mom told him:  that his name is Bud, and not Buddy, and he shouldn't let people call him anything other than his name.

This book is the winner of the Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Award.  Another book by Christopher Paul Curtis is The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963.  Learn more about the author by visiting this website:  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/index.htm.