Bud, Not Buddy
Written by Christopher Curtis
Reviewed by Jackson M. (age 10)
In this Newbery Award-winning novel, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, 10 year-old Bud Caldwell will never give up on finding his dad. He does eventually find his pa, or so he thinks. This book is adventurous, which makes me strongly recommend it.
Bud’s mama dies and he doesn’t know who his father is, which leaves him stranded in an orphanage, but that doesn’t stop him from finding his pa. Bud’s main skill of knowledge is realizing when “enough is enough,” and that really helps him on his “quest”. He travels all the way from his hometown, Flint, Michigan, to Grand Rapids just to find his father, or at least sort of. I really think families should stick together, no matter what happens. Bud probably felt this way too, because his family was split up and stayed apart for a long time!
Some parts of the book were a little cheesy and boring, like when Bud was at the orphanage, but overall the book was fantastic! One of my favorite parts was when the cops showed up at the railroad where a train was heading west. Many people, including Bud, couldn’t make it on the train. My favorite character in Bud, Not Buddy was, well, Bud Caldwell! He kind of reminds me of me. He’s always thinking. No matter how old or what gender you are, I strongly recommend reading this book!