Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

One of the last remaining categories in my Popsugar challenge is to read a book that I got at a used book sale. I had to go out special to find a novel for it, because I don't generally buy used. I like to keep my bookshelf looking neat and clean, so I usually buy new. I'm not adverse to books looking like they've been loved and read, but creases, stains, and tears of unknown origin kind of freak me out. Luckily for me, I live close to the biggest used bookstore in the state of Florida, Haslam's. The shop is gigantic, so I could really be picky about the condition of the used books I was interested in.

After a little while searching, I found a copy of Bud, Not Buddy in pretty good shape. Judging by the perfectly smooth, not-at-all-creased binding, I doubt it had ever been read. The only indication it wasn't new was that the pages were a bit yellowed. As this was a children's classic that I hadn't gotten around to yet, I decided that this would be my pick. I paid a whopping $3.95 for it and got started reading.

The story is set in Depression-era Flint, Michigan, and follows a young African American boy named Bud Caldwell. Bud's mother passed away four years prior to the novel's start, and since his father has never been in the picture, he's bounced between group homes and foster families ever since. He was six when his mother passed, so his memories of her are a bit fuzzy. He carries around all he has left of her in a battered suitcase - a picture of her from when she was a kid, a few smooth rocks with indecipherable writing on them, and a stack of four flyers advertising a jazz show starring "Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!"

After Bud gets into a fight with a boy at his latest foster home, he decides to run away from the system and seek his fortunes elsewhere. At first, he considers trying to make his way to California, where he could get a job picking fruit. After those plans fall through, however, he starts thinking about the flyers in his suitcase, The only reason for his mother to hang onto those old jazz show advertisements, he reasons, must have been because Herman E. Calloway is his father. It makes perfect sense in his head, so he sets off on a journey to find Mr. Calloway and start living with a real family again.

Curtis' writing is a pleasant mix of upbeat humor and more serious emotions. The entire story is narrated from Bud's eleven-year-old point of view, meaning that the reader has to fill in the blanks and connect the dots between events that he doesn't understand. This process doesn't feel like a chore, however, because Bud is such a cute and likable character. He lives by several rules he made up, called "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself." These rules show off how perceptive and fun-loving Bud is, despite his lack of knowledge about the world. Two of my favorites were Rule 83, which states that, "If an Adult Tells You Not to Worry, and You Weren't Worried Before, You Better Hurry Up and Start 'Cause You're Already Running Late" and Rule 16, which says, "If a Grown-up Ever Starts a Sentence by Saying, 'Haven't You Heard,' Get Ready, 'Cause What's About to Come Out of Their Mouth is Gonna Drop You Headfirst into a Boiling Tragedy."

As Bud moves around from town to town, he encounters some of the hallmarks of the Depression, including a Hooverville, the formation of a worker's union, redcaps working at train stations, big bands, and (unfortunately) some racism. As this is a true middle grades novel, nothing described is too graphic or intense, and Bud interprets everything he comes across as an interesting adventure rather than a social problem. Adult readers will be able to pick up the underlying issues and sadness in the situations Bud discovers, while younger readers will learn a little bit of history. Curtis' writing walks that fine line between being truthful and being depressing with skill, which is probably why this novel is the recipient of so many young adult literary awards.

Alongside the historical aspects of the novel are the emotional aspects of Bud's story. His search for his family is so earnest and innocent that it tugs on the reader's heartstrings and makes you cheer him on. When he finally finds Herman E. Calloway, things don't turn out exactly how he was envisioning, and the twist in the storytelling is clever and touching. This is, simply put, a nice book that makes you happy.

The only aspect of it that bugged me a little had more to do with my age than with anything Curtis did as a writer. Bud, Not Buddy is most definitely for children. As I mentioned earlier, adult readers will be able to pick up on the underlying tensions and issues in the plot, but even with that available to me, I felt too old to be reading this. Everything that happened was so sanitized for kids that the story felt too lighthearted for what it was describing. This was a three star read for me, but it's a four or five star read for a child. I would probably have a much deeper appreciation for this novel if I had come across it at the right age.

Even so, I did enjoy Bud, Not Buddy, and I understand why is it considered one of the classics of children's literature. Its blend of humor and emotion create a nice backdrop for a story about a boy who just wants to find where he belongs in the world. Bud's eternal optimism and determination will make me remember this heartwarming little read for a long time.


Challenge Tally
Popsugar Bonus Challenge (a book you got at a used book sale) 11/12

Total Books Read in 2017: 70