Bud, Not Buddy

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Grades 3-7; Genre - Fiction; GRL U; AR pts: 8.0

It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but he's on a mission. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: posters of Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression! Bud's got an idea that those posters will lead to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. What’s the setting at the beginning of this story? In an orphanage during the depression in Flint, Michigan
2. Describe Bud. 10 years old, living in an orphanage because his mom died, been to foster homes, but always comes back, can’t cry anymore, thinks his dad is a musician
3. How was Bud a good friend to Jerry? He comforted him and helped him feel better about going to his foster home

Chapter 2

1. What provoked Bud to punch Todd? Todd had woken him up in the night sticking a pencil up his nose
2. Why is Todd’s mother calling Bud ungrateful and sending him back to the Home? It looked like he was picking on Todd
3. What’s the name of the book Bud’s writing? Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself

Chapter 3

1. How did Bugs get his nickname? He’d gotten a bug stuck in his ear
2. What was the “vampire bat” hanging on the ceiling of the shed? A hornet’s nest
3. Why was Bud angry after he got out of the shed? He was angry at the Amos’s for treating him the way they had; and himself for believing Todd when he said there was a vampire bat in the shed and for getting into a situation where there wasn’t anyone who cared what happened to him

Chapter 4

1. Why didn’t Bud want to use the gun as revenge? Guns are too dangerous
2. Where did Bud put the gun? Out on the porch
3. How did Bud get his revenge with Todd? Made him wet the bed

Chapter 5

1. After seeing he couldn’t sleep in the library basement, where did Bud find shelter? Under the Christmas trees by the library
2. Why did his mom name him Bud and not Buddy? Buddy is a dog’s name; Bud is a flower-to-be, a flower-in-waiting, waiting for just the right warmth and care to open it up
3. What does the phrase mean, “when one door closes in life, another door opens”? When one opportunity ends, another one is offered to you

Chapter 6

1. Why was Bud late for breakfast? He slept in
2. Why was Bud able to eat? A man pretended Bud was his son
3. Why did Bud’s pretend mom and dad keep hitting him on the head? To help others think he really was their child; to keep him in line

Chapter 7

1. Find an example at the beginning of this chapter that tells you Bud loves the library. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to smell the unique library smell
2. What bad news did the librarian tell Bud? Miss Hill got married and moved away
3. Why couldn’t Bud go back to the Home? It was getting crowded

Chapter 8

1. Describe Bud’s experience in Hooverville. He got fed, kissed a girl and had a place to sleep with hope of going west
2. Explain what happened when Bud and the others tried to catch the train. The police were there trying to stop them, but Bud and the rest ran. Bugs made it on, but Bud slowed down to catch his blue flyer and missed the train. Bugs threw his suitcase off
3. What did Bud and the others find when they went back to Hooverville? The police had gone in and were breaking it up by burning the buildings and ruining the pots and pans

Chapter 9

1. What was the special something the librarian had for Bud? A large history book about the Civil War
2. What does the main character compare the idea of his dad to? A seed growing into a maple tree
3. Why did Bud think the things in his suitcase were his momma’s treasures? Why else would she keep them

Chapter 10

1. Why was the man nervous when talking to Bud on the side of the road? The city they were outside of wasn’t very kind to people with darker skin
2. What convinced Bud to go with the man? He had food and would take him to Grand Rapids
3. Why did Bud think the man was a vampire? Bud saw a box with the label, “Urgent, contains human blood”

Chapter 11

1. How did Bud end up back in Flint? Mr. Lewis drove him there to drop off the blood
2. Name three words that describe the Sleet family. Kind, generous, fun, warm, loving, accepting, giving, sharing
3. Why did Bud have a hard time eating and talking with the Sleet’s during the breakfast? At the Home he had to be silent during meals and at the Sleet home they were asking him questions and expecting him to respond

Chapter 12

1. Why was Bud worried when the policeman pulled them over? he thought the police were after him
2. How is Lefty involved with the labor organizers? He’s helping deliver fliers to the railroad workers in Grand Rapids
3. Why didn’t Bud want Lefty to into the Log Cabin with him? Herman Calloway didn’t know who Bud was and Lefty would have found out the truth

Chapter 13

1. What deal did Mr. Jimmy make to get Bud to tell him the truth? He promised him dinner at a restaurant
2. Choose a word to describe Thug and explain why? Mean, untrustworthy; giving him advice that would get him in trouble
3. Why did Bud like Steady Eddie? He watched out for him; was good to him

Chapter 14

1. What did Bud compare Miss Thomas’s humming to?  Walking on a railway and feeling the train getting closer and closer under your feet
2. Why did Bud start crying after dinner? He was so happy and felt like he was home
3. Find a word that describes Miss Thomas. Kind, warm, friendly, loving, accepting

Chapter 15

1. Why did Mr. Calloway lock the closets in the room Bud was sleeping in? to keep Bud from stealing anything and getting into it
2. What gave Bud the thought to steal from Mr. Calloway? Calloway threatened him
3. What helped Bud go to sleep? A blanket around his head, imaging his mom telling him stories

Chapter 16

1. What was Miss Thomas’ plan for Bud? If they got permission from the people in Flint, they were going to keep him
2. Why did Steady Eddie give Bud a saxophone case? to carry his mother’s things in; his suitcase is too old and ratty to travel with the band
3. What was Bud’s new name and how did he feel about it? Sleepy LaBone; he loved it

Chapter 17

1. What was Bud pretending his mop and bucket were? Captain Nemo and the sea
2. What did Miss Thomas’s singing and Steady Eddie’s saxophone sound like together? Like a conversation they were having with one another

Chapter 18

1. How long has Bud been with the band at this point in the book? 7 days
2. What was in Herman’s glovebox? Rocks with writing on them, just like Bud’s
3. When Bud told Herman his mother’s name, why did Herman run into the house? Because it was his daughter’s name

Chapter 19

1. How did Buddy prove his mother was Herman’s daughter? He had a picture from when she was a young girl
2. Why did Bud’s mother run away from home? Her father was really hard on her and wanted her to become a teacher, but she didn’t want to
3. Why was Herman so upset? He had just found out his daughter died
4. What gift did the band give Bud? An alto saxophone