Bud, Not Buddy

     To continue with the theme of “Boys and Books” for this week, I read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.

    This novel is the story of Bud, who is an orphan that lost mother when he was very young, from some some kind of illness. The setting is 1930’s Michigan, and Bud is an African-American. All Bud has is a suitcase that holds some of his Mother’s things. One day, Bud decides to run away from his orphanage and find his father, using the items in the suitcase as clues. The story is then about the adventures and people Bud encounters along the way. It ends with Bud finding his grandfather, and learning more about his family history. 

     Curtis is the author of several wonderful novels that are great for adolescents. I remember reading this novel for the first time in 5th grade. Our teacher would usually read one chapter aloud, and then let us read on our own. I also remember the whole class being captivated by the story. It is a great story about a young boy facing adversity, but keeping a great sense of humor along the way. I find Bud to be a really likable and relatable character for young students, because he always tries to keep a positive outlook, but he also has his child-like tendencies. Many of the characters are funny, and Bud himself is a comical narrator. It’s also a great book for students to learn about life during the Great Depression, and it addresses the cultural shift that African American’s were experiencing at that time. I think many male students from 4th-8th grade especially could enjoy this. 

    I also want to add that this book, is yet again, a banned book in some school districts. It is actually so eye opening that many children’s classics are being banned, because they include real life situations. I feel like if you tell a middle school boy that a book is banned though, he is much more likely to try and read it. I may try this reverse psychology on some students in the fall. If anyone ever has, let me know how it went!