“…that was Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things to Have a Funner LIfe and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself Number 83…If a Adult Tells You Not to Worry, and You Weren’t Worried Before, You Better Hurry Up and Start ‘Cause You’re Already Running Late.”― Christopher Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy

But, Not Buddy is set in 1936 Flint, Michigan as young Bud Caldwell escapes from the foster family he is living with and begins a journey on foot from Flint to Grand Rapids in hopes of finding the father he has never met. His mother gave him clues to his father’s identity, including flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his band. Bud interprets this to mean the flyers are the key to finding his father. Thus begins his adventure and Bud learns much about himself and others along the way.

This books offers a realistic look to the past as it describes life in the Midwest during the depression and the impacts of economic hardship and systemic racism and prejudice. Christopher Paul Curtis has written a wonderfully compelling story that combines history, humor, and a winning protagonist.

Content Advisory: racism

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