Page Turners Make Great Learners

Helping kids capture the joy of reading

Helping Kids Capture the Joy of Reading
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our Founders Story
    • Board of Directors 2019-2020
    • PB&Jers
  • Book Club
    • Meet the Talent
    • Page Turners’ Partner School Application
  • What We Do
    • Our Programs
    • Who We Help
  • Get Involved
    • Community & Corporate Partnerships
  • Resource Center
    • Book Recommendations
  • Events & Media
    • A Page Turning Week of Reading!
    • A Storybook Evening
    • Storybus
    • Press Coverage
    • Media Kits
  • Donate
You are here: Home / Book Reviews / Review: Bud, Not Buddy By: Christopher Paul Curtis

Review: Bud, Not Buddy By: Christopher Paul Curtis

May 14, 2017 by Derik S 4 Comments

Bud, Not Buddy Book Cover

Bud, Not Buddy written by Christopher Paul Curtis is a book about a ten- year old boy who is growing up during the Great Depression. Not to mention, he is also a foster kid who goes from foster home to foster home, with his special suitcase. His suitcase contains the remaining of things his mother gave to him before she died. She leaves Bud a flier, which Bud believes is a clue to find his father whom he has never met. He goes on an adventurous journey to find his father and meets multiple people that help him on his way.

However, there are some downfalls as well. He gets beat up at the foster home, a Ticonderoga pencil shoved up his nose, trapped in a shed, cut by fish head skeletons, and attacked by wasps, but this still does not stop Bud from reaching his goal. Although he lies along the way to enhance his situation, he still comes out clean. He finally gets to Grand Rapids, and runs into his dad’s band, Herman E Calloway and The Dusky Devastators of the Depression! He finds his dad afterwards. However, after a blown out argument about who his mother was, Bud finds out that Herman E. Calloway was actually his grandfather! The ending was quite a shock, but satisfactory at that. I’d rate it 5/5 stars!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

About Derik S

A Freshman at Grady High School

Passion: Playing basketball

Favorite Pastimes: Reading

Proudest Moment: Reading over one million words for the past 5 years.

Favorite book: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Pet Peeve: People talking with their mouths full.

Life Goal: He wants to be a Mechanical Engineer when he grows up.

Comments

  1. Savannah Allen says

    November 3, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    When Bud says, “Here we go again, ” I felt that way as well when I started at a new school. It can be hard when going to a new place. I have a connection with him.

    Dunwoody Springs

    Reply
  2. Latoya Tolefree says

    November 5, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    My students are enjoying this book. The students feel really bad for Bud, but have plans for how his adventure will end. I find them gigging, as well as gasping when reading. They are enjoying reading independently, but they also love when I read aloud.

    Reply
  3. Christian Lewis says

    November 7, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    Things I like about Bud, Not Buddy is that he is A 10 year old boy who lives in A foster home and he is a kid who tells things that happens in his life. Bud, Not Buddy is a fascinating book and he has good character traits. Bud, Not Buddy is a cool book that I think everyone should read and see what it’s about. In one of the book’s chapters it talks about The Great Depression, its was about a lot of people losing their jobs and now, peoples’ bosses are just firing them 1 by 1 instead of them losing or quitting their jobs.That’s what I like about the book Bud, Not Buddy.

    Reply
  4. Aliyah Gunn says

    November 10, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    I like this book because people all over the world can relate to it. Bad things always happen to everyone in life. Like for example in my life, my apartment caught on fire this year and I lost everything my home.Sometimes I am still upset and annoyed because I lost important things. I even lost my Aunt Andrea’s urn, so I can relate to Bud. He lost his mom and many more things. I am learning to be positive like him. He could have been angry and hurt people, but he didn’t. He is learning to move on.

    Dunwoody Springs, 4th Grade

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

PB&Jers

Learn about the young readers and authors in our Page Turners Bloggers & Journalists program (PB&Jers). Meet the Authors.

Recent Posts

  • PTMGL Ambassador Francesca Ruhe Introduces NFL Player Malcolm Mitchell
  • Review of “Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider”
  • Are you having FUN with the book? You should!
  • Challenge #1
  • Book Guides & Resources:

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Children who don’t read can’t succeed. It’s just that simple.

Page Turners promotes shared reading experiences that engage, inspire and expand students’ knowledge of themselves and the world around them.  When books occupy a central place in a child’s world of entertainment, spirited conversations, personal discoveries and lasting learning are sure to follow.

Our Mission

Page Turners Make Great Learners, Inc.’s mission is to expand children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, themselves and their unique possibilities through a love of reading.

Follow Us

Core Programming

Read-a-Thons

Book Donation Drives

Summer Book Club

Virtual Book Club

Contact Us

Page Turners Make Great Learners

P.O. Box 7723, Atlanta, GA 30357

© 2021 · Page Turners Make Great Learners · Website by Rock Paper Scissors

We are with You

At Page Turners Make Great Learners, we believe that all children find themselves when they are lost in the pages of a book. In the company of beloved literary characters, mythical heroes, historical giants, or even evil archvillains, children learn about themselves and who they can choose to become. In this time of civil unrest, books have the power to enlighten, to change perspectives and to heal the wounds of hate and division. This is why Page Turners’ work is more important today than ever before.

Through our in-school book clubs, book donations and author visits, Page Turners strives to introduce children to diverse cultures and view points. For the vast majority of the students we serve, books are a luxury their families can seldom afford. More than 90% of these students are Black. Most of the books they read in school, while of undisputed literary value, do not feature characters who look like them or whose experience mirrors theirs.

Given the current civil unrest in our nation, we believe it is vital to introduce Black authors, characters, and texts to both Black and non-Black parents and children. We hope the titles listed below will spark productive conversations about racism and prejudice and lead to greater empathy, understanding and harmony.

We welcome your thoughts about these books and would love to hear more about the discussions you are having with your families and friends. You can share them on our social media platforms via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What affects Black communities, affects us all.

 

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Slay by Brittany Morris
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Blended by Sharon Draper
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
Parker Looks Up by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Infinite Hope by Ashley Bryan
Love by Matt de la Pena
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Crown by Derrick Barnes
New Kid by Jerry Craft