Bud, Not Buddy

The book, Bud, Not Buddy (1999) by Christopher Paul Curtis, and I have crossed paths several times in the past. This time, I'm happy to say, I took the time to read this well-written book. Curtis hooked me with the opening line "Here we go again," along with the promise of trouble. It wasn't long before I was cheering for Bud and hoping he finds what he wants.

Bud, Not Buddy is about a young black boy whose mother has passed away. After running away from a foster family, Bud thinks he knows who and where his father is and runs off to find him. Luckily, Bud lives in the north and manages to find help along the way, though the country is in the middle of the Great Depression (1930's).

This chapter book is intended for an older audience. I feel certain that most fourth- and fifth-graders could understand the concepts within the book. Bud faces abandonment issues when his mother dies. He feels the need to belong, hence his search for his father. He also faces potential cultural problems as he traverses the countryside on his own.

The author does a phenomenal job with character development in Bud, Not Buddy. As we read through the book, I would do a "Post-it" lesson with my older students. As they read, place a Post-it note on the page (or two) telling me what they know about Bud and how he's feeling. Once we've completed the book, we can either take the sticky notes and put them on a timeline or on a character anchor chart. If time permits, I'd also like to do a cause and effect anchor chart similarly, and map the book out that way as well.