Module 5 :BUD NOT BUDDY

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439221889.

PLOT SUMMARY
Bud Caldwell is a young orphan trapped in the foster care system of the 1930s. He is placed with a family with a mean spirited son who is the apple of his momma’s eye. Bud runs away when he is subjected to multiple beatings, pencils up the nose, and other humiliations. He strikes out at first with plans of heading to Chicago with a new found friend.
However, fate has another idea. He misses the train so he changes course and pursues the path to his father. Bud follows the only clue his mother left for him about the identity of his father—an old flyer for Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. He meets a string of helpful strangers who become a network of family helping Bud reach his final destination: the doorstep of Herman E. Calloway. When he finds Herman, he is surprised at the gruff old man he sees. The rest of the members of his new band, The Nubian Knights, welcome Bud and begin to teach him to play an instrument for the band. Bud had found the family he wanted but still has not connected with the man he believes is his father.
In a heartwarming climax, the truth about why Bud had come and the truth about how he and Mr. Calloway are related are revealed. Bud is his grandson! Bud becomes a permanent member of the household and of the band.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
BUD, NOT BUDDY is an excellent historical fiction novel. Christopher Paul Curtis depicts a realistic view of life for African American people in the 1930s without delving too deeply into the institutionalized racism so prevalent at the time. Mr. Curtis uses appropriate time period language. No one says the words “dis” or refers to friends as “homeboys” but he also steers clear of rampant use of the “nig***” that was common in vernacular at the time. Race relations were not the theme of the story so that was not included to muddle the tale of a boy finding the family he craved.
Bud Caldwell is a character easy to identify with. He is likeable and happy. He wants to find a family where he can share and where he belongs. The reader does feel sympathy for the young orphan abused in foster homes and no connection to anything or anyone. However, Bud does not rely on sympathy or pity. He is resourceful and clever. As Bud comes upon individuals and events, he shares insights from his self written memoir “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things to make a funner life and make a better liar out of yourself.” Many of the rules are easy for readers to relate with. For example Rules and Things number 3 states “If you go to tell a lie, make sure it is simple and easy to remember.” Anyone who has been caught in a lie will know the lecture that says that lies are get bigger and bigger, spin out of control and become difficult to remember. Bud must have had that some lecture and is attempting to share his wisdom. It is a true statement.
Readers are not overburdened with a complex array of characters or plot twists. This story is of Bud’s travels. Along the way, he meets many interesting and generous people but they do not become so instrumental in the story that the reader gets confused.
The most integral part of the historical fiction book is the setting. This book is set in the 1930s in the northern United States, Michigan. The reader learns about the labor unions that were being developed and about the popularity of jazz. This is all of the historical data readers gather. This does not become a list of facts. Cars are a transportation mode but trains are just as popular in this time period. Bud attempts to use a train to begin his adventure, but ends up using car transportation. Bud does not mention flying in a rocket or riding on horseback. Both would not fit into this setting.
I listened to BUD NOT BUDDY on an unabridged audiocassette format. Because it was unabridged and followed the text verbatim, this adaptation was true to all of the aspects one looks for in historical fiction. There were no omissions.
There were 3 tapes that lasted a total of 3 hours and 38 minutes. The cassettes arrived to me from my school district’s Instructional Resource Center is a blue tattered box. The box’s cover looks very similar to the cover of the actual book. I could tell that this audiobook had been well circulated. Its tattered cover and bent plastic showed how much it has been loved.
The story is read by actor James Avery. He is noted for many roles. Most recently he portrayed the father on the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, which airs nightly on Nickelodeon. He is the only reader. His voice is very crisp and clear. Word quality and pronunciation is fantastic. Despite the age and use the tapes have seen, there was no background noise or static to be heard. He read the entire book cover to cover and read the epilogue at the end of the story as well. Despite the fact that Mr. Avery is a grown adult man, he does an excellent job making his voice sound younger, to match the character of Bud. He does not change his voice dramatically when different characters are speaking. He uses pauses and rate of speech to reveal that new characters are talking. For example, he does not talk in a squeaky voice to show when a female is speaking. Musical effects are included in the reading. The book is set in the era of Jazz, and Bud becomes a member of a jazz band at the end of the book. Jazz music is infused into the middle of a few chapters and at the end of most chapters at the end of the book. The music becomes a large part of the audiocassette and reading as it becomes a larger part of Bud’s life.
I would highly recommend listening to BUD NOT BUDDY. The book is funny and entertaining. But hearing a voice that seems to match Bud and “hearing” his story is very absorbing. I read along with the audiocassette. This was helpful but not required. In an experiment, there were chapters that I did not follow along with. There was no loss of comprehension or connection to the story. I listened to this book along with my class of 28 7th graders. They found it equally as entertaining. They’d dance in their chairs to the jazz music. They’d ask every day if we were going to hear more of the book. They were disappointed because some other classroom activities were interfering with our completion of the book. They were hooked! I thoroughly enjoyed BUD NOT BUDDY. Listening to the book enhanced the experience of this literary classic.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of John Newberry Medal 2000
Coretta Scott King Award 2000
ALA Notable Children’s Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Best Book of the Year

CONNECTIONS
Christopher Paul Curtis –Author biography
Christopher Paul Curtis: Information from Answers.com

Great Depression information
The Main Causes of the Great Depression
The Great Depression and The New Deal

ART ACTIVITY: By the end of the novel, Bud is being groomed to become a band member. Design a flyer for Bud's opening night with Calloway's Band. Give the band a new name in honor of Bud.

History: Students will read books and online resources about The Great Depression, Jazz musicians in the 1910’s, or Labor Unions. Students will share the information with classmates by creating a 10 slide powerpoint presentation.