Bud, Not Buddy (Newbery Medal Winner, 2000)

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Summary: Bud, not Buddy
Review: Bud has a mission: to find his biological father. His only clues are flyers his mother left behind after her death. The flyers are advertisements of a band, Herman E. Calloway and The Dusky Devastators of the Depression. Bud is convinced that his father was one of the men pictured on the flyer. After his mother's death, Bud gets bounced around form an orphanage to many different foster families. The unjust treatment he receives from the Amos family, his last foster family, is what prompts him to try to find his father. As he makes his way across country during desperate times, he meets incredible people whose lives are effected by the Depression. The major dramatic question of the missing father fueled my interest. The understatement of hard times the Depression caused are depicted in the need for food received at the Salvation Army and the homeless communities formed along the railways. This book is one of the best books I have ever read. It dealt with a time period in history that really interests me, as well as the musical theme that was intertwined throughout the book. It also has a suprise ending that takes the cake!

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Summary: A Lived-Through Experience
Review: The hardships of living through the Great Depression are clearly portrayed in Bud, Not Buddy. Bud, not Buddy, Caldwell has been tossed around from orphanages to foster homes and back again since he was very young. Wanting to finally meet his father, Bud sets out on a mission to find this man. Herman E. Calloway, Bud's supposed father lives all the way in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a long distance from Flint (or so he thinks) where he lives now. So, how does Bud make it to Grand Rapids? Find out how his cunning ways (Bud Caldwell's Rules And Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself) lead him to many exciting adventures and maybe eventually his father.

With a very interesting and catchy storyline, this book will enlighten your knowledge as well as catch your attention. Christopher Paul Curtis provides a real lived-through experience. The realistic dialog of Bud and the other characters also brings the reader in. Curtis makes the reader feel as though he/she was really living through the Depression.

Bud, Not Buddy is such an enjoyable, and amusing story! Curtis has attracted a variety of readers for this story, from adventurous, historical fiction, and even to the nonfiction informational reader. It is an amazing story that I would encourage all to read.

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Summary: Bud , Not Buddy
Review: The story Bud, Not Buddy takes place in the early 1900's. Bud, not Buddy Caldwell is living in a home when, "one door closes and another opens." Bud and a friend of his (Bugs) decide they will ride the rails together to the west. Again, something happens where that door closes and another opens. Bud takes his own path with some help from a new friend to find out about a flyer that made his mother so angry.
I had to read several books for my professional semester in school. This book was one of my favorites by far. I like the idea of a family not being perfect. So many families in today's society are not what people would call "normal". The story being told by Bud himself really pulls the reader into the book. He gives the reader an idea of what he's going through with each situation. In a sence the reader becomes Bud.
This book could be utilized in a unit on the Great Depression. It could also be recommended to male students who do not have a "traditional" family.

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Summary: This book will be your best Buddy.....
Review: Bud had a mission, to find his biological father. His only clues were flyers his mother left behind after her death. The flyers were advertisements of a band, Herman E. Calloway and The Dusky Devastators of the Depression. Bud was convinced that his father was one of the men pictured on the flyer. After his mother's death, Bud was bounced around from an orphanage to many different foster families. The unjust treatment from the Amos family, his last foster family, was what prompted him to leave to try to find his father. As he maked his way across the country during desperate times, he met incredible people whose lives were also effected by the Depression of the 1930's. The major dramatic question, which was who was Bud's father, propelled me deeper into the book after every chapter. The understatement of hard times of the Depression was conveyed by the descriptions of waiting for food in the food lines at the Salvation Army. I couldn't have liked this book any more than I already do. It dealt with a time period in history that interests me. Any teacher can tie this book into a social studies theme on the history of the Depression. It would interest those who are musically inclined because it revolved around the members of a band. This was definitely one of my interests in the book. The suspense kept me interested and would also hold the interest of any 9-12 year old. The surprise ending was a perfect twist.

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Summary: Excellent book for all ages
Review: I'm an avid reader and the mother of a ten-year-old boy. My son likes to read, but seemed unenthusiastic about this book -- he says it looked "too serious". First I read it myself (had nothing to read one night!) and loved it. Then, he and I read it together aloud over the course of several nights (reading it together was the only way he'd give it a first chance!). He absolutely loved it and says "it's the kind of book you want to read two or three times, like Harry Potter" -- he started on it for himself the night after we finished it together. Not only is it a well-reviewed, award winning book -- it's a winner in every respect.

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Summary: Buddy
Review: I loved this book. I liked the grammar used by Curtis. It gives you a great appreciation for who Buddy really is and where he comes from. This is a wonderful adventure/journey story that takes you throught the life of an ordinary boy trying to find what he is looking for. It makes you appreciate the things you have in your life. It gives you a new perspective of things left unsaid.

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Summary: This is the funniest book ever !!!!
Review: At the beginning of the book Bud's friend Bug's gets a cockroach stuck in his ear. And then Bud gets adopted and a kid sticks a Ticonderoga pencil up Bud's nose all the way to the "R". And Bud meets a vampire and the vampire gives him a bolonga and cheese sandwich but Bud dosn't like mustard but he was hungry and ate it anyways. And the vampire gave him a bottle of red pop.

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Summary: bud....
Review: This is the greatest book i ever read it was kind of a boring beggining I had a lot of suspense and a very good discriptive words there are a very very very very large chance that a sequel will be made...

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Summary: READ ME
Review: Who know that one book could set your mind in a whole new world. Make you think of real people living in this time frame , maybe make you understand the world a little better. Read This Book!

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Summary: Awsome Book!
Review: Bud, Not Buddy is one the most interesting books in the world! It is funny, sad and freaky all at the same time! If you are looking for a good book, you are looking at the right one! The adventure that Bud Codwell takes to find his father is so exiting! I just don't want to give away who Herman E. Colloway is. I will not say anymore. That is for me to know, and you to find out!