Chapter Book 1

Author	Christopher Paul Curtis
Title	Bud, Not Buddy
Illustrator	NA
Readability Score	Grade level equivalent:  5.2 Lexile Measure: 950L DRA:  50 Guidd Reading: T
Genre	Fiction
Subgenre	Historical Fiction
Theme	This book emphasizes the importance of family.
Primary and Secondary Characters	Bud, Jerry, Bugs, Mr. and Mrs. Amos, Todd Amos, Pretend Mother and Father, Deza Malone, Librarian, Lefty Lewis, Mrs. Sleet, Kim and Scott Sleet, Herman E. Calloway, Miss Thomas, Mr. Jimmy, the Thug, Steady Eddie, Doo-Doo Bug, Dirty Deed
Award(s) date of publication	Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Award 1999
Publishing Company	Scholastic Inc.
ISBN Number	0-439-22188-9
Brief Summary	The story starts out with ten-year old Bud finding out that he and Jerry, another orphan from the Home have been selected to move in with foster parents.  However, neither boy is optimistic about their upcoming moves.  Bud moves in with the Amoses, who also happen to have a twelve-year old biological son, Todd.  After Todd is less than welcoming to his new brother, Bud decides to set out on the lam.  While on the lam, Bud is pleased to cross paths with Bugs, his best friend from the orphanage.  The two decide to accompany one another on their journeys and end up in Hooverville.  While in Hooverville, the boys devise a plan to hop a train headed to Chicago.  Bugs manages to board the train, but Bud isn’t so lucky.  Ever the quick thinker, Bud devises a new plan.  He decides to set off toward Grand Rapids, Michigan to find the man believed to be his father, musician Herman E. Calloway.  While attempting to walk to Grand Rapids, Bud is discovered by Lefty Lewis.  Lefty offers Bud a ride to Grand Rapids.  With much hesitation, Bud finally accepts.  Once Bud reaches his destination, he is shocked to realize that Herman E. Calloway is much older and less kind than Bud had originally suspected.  However, Bud easily fits in with Herman’s band members and finally finds a true home of his own.
Picture of book cover
Description of how you would use book with students	This book would be great for teaching character traits.  Students could participate in a “Hot Seating” drama response to the story in which they assume roles of various characters in the book and must respond to questions from the audience about their characters’ specific actions, thoughts, and feelings throughout the book.