BUD, NOT BUDDY

BUD, BUD NOT BUDDY

Module 3

SLIS 5420/Module 3/ June 21-27

Book for this module

BUD, BUD NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bibliographic

Curtis, Christopher. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York, NY: Random House Inc.

Summary
Bud, Not Buddy is about a little orphan boy who has set out to locate his father. He literally will stop at nothing to find him. He sleeps under trees and in the library, and hides a lot of different places not to be taken back to his former orphanage home. His only companion appears to be an old suitcase that doesn't easily depart from Bud.

My Impression
This book is full of suspense the reader never knows what comes next. It keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat. Being a mother it's hard to imagine any child having to endure what Bud experienced. This did have realistic scenes that many children are faced with today. It was sad and encouraging all at the same time. The boldness that Bud displayed being so young would inspire people of all ages. He wasn't afraid and was full of determination. The pocket knife he carried was his little secret weapon and usually kept it handy. A knock to him was just another stepping stone that thrust him closer to his destination.

Reviews
School Library Journal
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 musical 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 Rapid, 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. As the story progresses Bud finds out that Herman E. Calloway is his grandfather and the room he has been sleeping in belonged to his mother. Curtis gives a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud. Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington DC Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Use in Library Setting
This book can be used to introduce shelters and how some individuals live and struggle with daily habitation. It can also be used to teach priority and thankfulness. Various objects can be supplied and students will choose what they feel is most important to place in their brown paper bags used as a suitcase. Discussion time can be provided for students to explain why they chose what they placed in the bags and its significance.