Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Historical (fiction), Trade Book, Lexile 950

The novel follows the exploits of Bud Caldwell, a young boy living in Michigan during the Great Depression. Bud--not Buddy!--has had enough of the orphanage and awful foster homes where he is sent. He decides to set off on his own, using clues that his mother left when she died to track down his father, a man he has never met. Bud keeps a close grip on the suitcase that contains his few remaining possessions, and uses his adept skill at lying to survive in the harsh world. He maneuvers through soup kitchens, cardboard jungles, and hitchhiking adventures to finally arrive at Grand Rapids, the home of his presumed father. Bud thinks that his problems will be over once he finds his father, but after he meets Herman Calloway and accuses him of being his dad, Bud learns that his journey is just beginning.