Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I knew this book got a lot of awards and thought it would be a good book for my son. So I read it to make sure. Wow! It was a great book: excellent plot, lots of humor, and believable characters.
4.5
I've been reading all the Newberry's this is probably in my top 7 so far. Really moving story about finding family and home in a world of scarcity and orphanhood.
I've been reading all the Newberry's this is probably in my top 7 so far. Really moving story about finding family and home in a world of scarcity and orphanhood.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent
I read this on my 9-year-old's recommendation. "It's very tender and sad," he said. It's about a motherless boy his age during the Depression who ends up on a journey to find his absentee father, or a person he suspects is his father. It's about family, and memory, and race, and it's very tender and sad. I recommend it, too.
I listened to this book in the car to and from a writing conference for a whole week. Aside from being the perfect amount of hours, I was taken in from the start. Told in a slaggy Southern drawl that never turns into caricature, this is the story of Bud (not Buddy), a boy on a manhunt. After being passed off from an orphanage to a non-hospitable foster home, Bud leaves the civil life to live "on the land" for a while, at least until he finds his long-lost father, the bassist of a famous Southern jazz band. Bud is an amazing character, with a punky attitude and a knack for telling certain untruths (as long as its to his advantage). He does have a bit of baggage, and that's not just the suitcase he carries around with him (as for that, don't poke around inside it, he's tied it up with special knots and he'll know when you've been digging through his personal things). But though life is hard, with a depression on and no close relations to speak of, Bud's dogged determination never fails. In the end, it even brings him face-to-face with the man he's been searching for. If you were to ask me, Bud's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself should start with Rule 1: Read Bud, Not Buddy from cover to cover. You'll love it.
The book is about a 10 year old named Bud, his mother died when he was 6 and he now is on a mission to find his father. After running away from the Home he decides to go west in order to find his father and escape the endless cycle of being in new foster care homes. He meets many different characters on his journey and learns more about the Depression-era he is living in as he does. He eventually get to his destination and comes face to face with the man he believes is his father.
I read this book as a kind and really like it. I loved it even more as an adult. Through his 10-year-old eyes, the world is a little softer and easier to digest for elementary school kids while still expanding their brains and introducing them to new concepts. I loved traveling around with Bud and seeing the world through his eyes. He has gone through so much already that he thinks he is all grown but through an adult's eyes I can see how young and innocent he is still. A lovey story without being too harsh for young kids.
I read this book as a kind and really like it. I loved it even more as an adult. Through his 10-year-old eyes, the world is a little softer and easier to digest for elementary school kids while still expanding their brains and introducing them to new concepts. I loved traveling around with Bud and seeing the world through his eyes. He has gone through so much already that he thinks he is all grown but through an adult's eyes I can see how young and innocent he is still. A lovey story without being too harsh for young kids.
Re-read on 10-25-14
Liked this better the second time around. My favorite scene is the one where the band mates give Bud his stage name: Sleepy La Bone. Too funny! James Avery as the audiobook narrator was a fantastic choice.
Liked this better the second time around. My favorite scene is the one where the band mates give Bud his stage name: Sleepy La Bone. Too funny! James Avery as the audiobook narrator was a fantastic choice.
I hadn't read this book in years, so it was good to re-read it. There were some parts that I completely forgot about, but I enjoyed reading about the relationships Bud builds along his journey to find his father.
For a book about a ten-year-old orphan struggling on his own during the Great Depression Bud, Not Buddy is surprisingly upbeat. Bud gets beat up, locked in a shed and attacked by hornets! He is homeless, friendless, and constantly hungry, but all the while he stays positive about whatever small comforts come his way. There are a lot of exclamation points in this book and I'd guess the word "doggone" appears several dozen times, giving his narration a kind of "aw shucks" tone. Stuck in a shantytown eating rat stew from old sardine cans? Aw shucks, it's the best doggone food Bud ever tasted!
You've got to admire how buoyant Bud is throughout his wanderings, but I was also kind of put off by the light touch. I can't say for sure, of course, but if I had read this as a kid I might have thought I could actually survive on my own without parents because this book makes it seem like nearly every grown up you meet is just so doggone kind. There's a scene where Bud is lured into an unknown man's car in the middle of the night and the man... takes him home and feeds him (aw shucks!) the best pancakes Bud's ever tasted.
I understand why this book is short on the brutality and cynicism of poverty and long on the the benefits of good manners and a little bit of luck, but as an adult reader that felt a little off. And I agree that the cover has history lesson (i.e. boring) written all over it, which is a shame because it's definitely not a boring book.
You've got to admire how buoyant Bud is throughout his wanderings, but I was also kind of put off by the light touch. I can't say for sure, of course, but if I had read this as a kid I might have thought I could actually survive on my own without parents because this book makes it seem like nearly every grown up you meet is just so doggone kind. There's a scene where Bud is lured into an unknown man's car in the middle of the night and the man... takes him home and feeds him (aw shucks!) the best pancakes Bud's ever tasted.
I understand why this book is short on the brutality and cynicism of poverty and long on the the benefits of good manners and a little bit of luck, but as an adult reader that felt a little off. And I agree that the cover has history lesson (i.e. boring) written all over it, which is a shame because it's definitely not a boring book.