Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is a Newbery Medal winner that I found entirely deserving of its honors.

Ten-year-old Bud has been passed from orphanage to foster home since he was six years old. When things go wrong at yet another foster home, he sets out on his own with just an old suitcase full of his most treasured belongings -- mostly mementos from his mother. After a few adventures and misadventures around town, Bud sets out from Flint, Michigan to Grand Rapids. He's off to find Herman E. Calloway, the man Bud believes to be his father. You see, his mother never told him who his father was, but she left behind some clues, including a handful of flyers for Herman E. Calloway's jazz band. Will Bud make it to Grand Rapids, and will he find a home there? You bet -- but neither of those things will happen in the way Bud expects!

This is a great book, both funny and heartwarming. Curtis always writes with such an authentic voice, you can tell he's one of those authors who remembers what it's like to be a kid. The story flows along with perfect pacing, and the period and setting are well-researched without being obtrusive. This is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)

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