Bud, Not Buddy is a 1999 children's novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. The book is the winner of the 2000 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature, as well as the Coretta Scott King Award that is given in recognition of outstanding African-American authors. Christopher Paul Curtis (born May 10, 1953) is an American childrens author and a Newbery Medal winner who wrote the The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963 and the critically acclaimed Bud, Not Buddy. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A historical novel a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... This article is about the year. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN redirects here. ... This article is about the year. ... Christopher Paul Curtis (born May 10, 1953) is an American childrens author and a Newbery Medal winner who wrote the The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963 and the critically acclaimed Bud, Not Buddy. ... The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association (ALA) to the author of the outstanding American book for children. ... Childrens books redirects here. ... The Coretta Scott King Award is an anual award presented by the American Library Association. ...

Plot summary

In the midst of the Great Depression during the 1930s, 10-year-old Bud Caldwell lives in the orphanage in Flint, Michigan that has been his home since the death of his mother several years earlier. He hates the orphanage but his situation doesn't improve when he is sent to live with a foster family, the Amoses, who prove to be abusive. After escaping the old shed where he was locked in, Bud goes back to the house and gathers his things. For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... // An orphanage is an institution or asylum for the care of a child bereaved of both father and mother; sometimes, also, a child who has but one parent living. ... Nickname: Location of Flint within Genesee County, Michigan. ... Foster care is a system by which a certified, stand-in parent(s) cares for minor children or young people who have been removed from their biological parents or other custodial adults by state authority. ...

Bud runs away from the foster family and runs into a familar friend "Bugs". They both decide to go on the Lam to chicago and encounter food and shelter at a local cardboard city. There, Bud meets his crush: Deza Malone. Bud and Bugs try to catch the train to Chicago but is encountered with police waiting to stop them and finally one gives up and they all do but Bud gets left behind . Bud decides to set off in search of his father. The journey will be difficult because he doesn't know who the man is. His only clue is a flyer advertising a jazz band that was left in his suitcase by his mother before her death. Bud aims for Grand Rapids, Michigan, convinced that the leader of the band, "Herman E. Calloway" and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression is the man he's looking for except it seems the singer switches his bands and names often. For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Grand Rapids redirects here. ...

During his journey, he encounters several Good Samaritans, as well as experiencing racism. One of the people he meets is someone he thinks is a vampire, but is actually just donating blood to the local hospital. The Good Samaritan The Good Samaritan is a famous New Testament parable, that appears only in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37). ...

He finds out Herman E. Calloway is actually his grandfather whom his dead mother held a grudge against for a reason that Bud doesn't know. Miss Thomas tells him that Mr. Calloway was hard on his mother. She had been waiting 11 years for her to give them a sign, Bud was that sign. At the end he receives a baby horn from one of the band members named Steady Freddie.

Characters

Bud Caldwell - A ten-year-old African American orphan boy. He is desperate to locate his real father.

Lefty Lewis - A kind man that picks Bud up and takes him to Grand Rapids. He treats Bud with kindness and compassion.

Herman E. Calloway - A jazz band leader whom Bud originally mistakes as his father. He is in fact Bud's grandfather, as they later discover.

"Steady" Eddie Patrick - The Saxophone player of Herman's band, who gives Bud his first saxophone.

Doug "The Thug" Tennant - The drummer of the band

Todd Amos - A very spoiled boy whom at first sticks a pencil in Bud's nose up to the "R" and has athsma.

Chug "Doo-Doo Bug" Cross - The trombone player of the band

Mr. Jimmy Wesley - The trumpet player of the band.

Roy "Dirty Deed" Breed - The piano player of the band.

Ms. Thomas - A very nice lady who believes bud. She is also the lead singer of Herman E. Callowaay's band.

Mrs. Caldwell - Bud's mother.

Bugs - Bud's Best Friend and "Brother" he traveled with Bud until they tried to jump on a train. Bugs got on, but Bud couldn't. He is called bugs because a cockroach once crawled up his ear.

Mr. Amos - Bud's mean foster father.

Mrs. Amos - Bud's mean foster mother.

Deza Malone- a girl bud meets and has a crush on

Holes is a Newbery Medal-winning novel by Louis Sachar. ... The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association (ALA) to the author of the outstanding American book for children. ... See also: 1999 in literature, other events of 2000, 2001 in literature, list of years in literature. ... A Year Down Yonder is a novel by Richard Peck that won the Newbery Medal in 2001. ...

Sources, References, External links, Quotations

• Book Summary for "Bud, Not Buddy"