Bud, Not Buddy Questions and Answers
Bud, Not Buddy
What are the five special rocks Bud always keeps with him in Bud, Not Buddy?
It takes readers most of the book to figure out what these rocks are that Bud hauls around with him and why they are important. We first read about them in chapter 5, but readers get very little...
Bud, Not Buddy
In "Bud, Not Buddy", did Bud find his father and what was his name?
Bud never meets his biological father nor does he discover his name. For the majority of the story, Bud believes that his father's name is Herman Calloway, who happens to be a famous musician...
Bud, Not Buddy
What are the five main events that happen in Bud, Not Buddy?
I would argue that the first significant event in this story takes place when Bud makes his escape from the Amos household. Bud, who has been beaten up by an older boy at his foster home, makes his...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why did Bud's mom die in Bud, Not Buddy?
When Bud is six years old, his mother passes away at the age of twenty-six, and he is taken to an orphanage. He eventually leaves in hopes of finding his father. Although Christopher Paul Curtis...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, how does Bud change over the course of the story?
I would argue that there are few ways in which Bud does not change during the course of his story. His circumstances change, he starts to grow up, and he becomes part of a group that he can call...
Bud, Not Buddy
What are five rules to survive and five rules to thrive in Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud creates a list of rules that he lives by, which helps him survive and thrive in life. The following five rules help Bud survive in the world on his own: Rule #3 helps Bud avoid getting into...
Bud, Not Buddy
What did Bud carry in his suitcase and why were those items important to him?
Bud’s suitcase contains a pack of flyers. These sit at the very bottom of the suitcase. The flyers are advertisements for various performances of the jazz musician Herman E. Calloway. They are...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why does Bud always introduce himself as Bud, not Buddy?
Bud always introduces himself as "Bud" because that is his name. Bud's mother named him Bud, not Buddy; therefore, Bud wants to be called what his mother named him. Most of chapter five is a...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why does Bud think that the man in the flyer is his father in Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud incorrectly assumes the man in the flyer is his father because of a distant memory. Before Bud’s mother dies, she sees this particular blue flyer and becomes very distraught at seeing it....
Bud, Not Buddy
What are the names off all the band members in Bud, Not Buddy?
After Bud runs away from the Amos household, he isn’t sure what to do or where to go. He eventually decides to try and get to Grand Rapids, Michigan in order to search for Herman E. Calloway. "So...
Bud, Not Buddy
Who is Bud's father?
Unfortunately, Bud never finds out who his father is. While Bud spends the majority of the book believing that Herman E. Calloway is his father, it is revealed in Chapter Eighteen that Calloway is...
Bud, Not Buddy
What is "Rules and Things Number 3" from Bud Not Buddy?
Bud's rule number three is as follows. "If you got to tell a lie, make sure it’s simple and easy to remember.” Bud tells the readers this rule in chapter two. Bud is good liar. He admits it...
Bud, Not Buddy
What does Miss Thomas tell Bud to keep in mind? Why does Bud feel strange when she tells him this?
In chapter 16, after Miss Thomas has told Bud that he can stay with her and the band, she also tells him that she considers him "a godsend," and she tells Bud that he must "keep that in mind all of...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, why does Bud think people in Grand Rapids talk funny?
The quote that this question is referring to appears in chapter 16 of Bud, Not Buddy. The chapter begins with Bud waking up after a long night of sleep. He's been needing a good rest. Bud quietly...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Chapter 19 of Bud, Not Buddy, what gift does the band give to Bud, and what does it symbolize?
In Chapter 19, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression walk into Grand Calloway Station and tell Bud that they have something for him. Steady Eddie slides a busted up cardboard suitcase in front of...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, what did Bud do to Todd and why did he do it?
In Chapter 2, Todd Amos is beating up Bud when Mrs. Amos walks into the bedroom. Todd lies to his mother and fakes an asthma attack. Todd points to Bud's hand mark on his face, and Todd's parents...
Bud, Not Buddy
Describe the Hooverville that Bud visits in the novel Bud, Not Buddy.
While Bud searches for his father, he comes across a Hooverville, which is a shanty town. Many of them were constructed during the Great Depression, and homes were often made of cardboard. Bud and...
Bud, Not Buddy
What do you think is the meaning of the writing on the rocks in Bud's suitcase?
The answer to this question can be found in chapter 8. Chapter 8 begins with Bud and Bugs being reunited with each other. The two boys are excited to be together again, and they head off toward one...
Bud, Not Buddy
What is the problem and the solution in Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis?
In Curtis' novel, Bud, Not Buddy, the problem is that Bud has lost his mother—she died when he was six. He has been in the Home for several years, in and out of foster homes, has been beaten up,...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why do the characters call Herman E. Calloway's house "Grand Calloway Station" in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not...
In Chapter 15 of Christopher Paul Curtis's young reader's novel Bud, Not Buddy, Miss Thomas, a singer for Herman E. Calloway's band, takes Bud to Calloway's house called "Grand Calloway Station."...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why do you think Bud begins to cry and cannot stop?
In Chapter 15, Bud is invited to eat dinner with Herman Calloway and his band at the Sweet Pea. Bud is treated to his first sit-down meal at a restaurant and thoroughly enjoys his food. During the...
Bud, Not Buddy
Explain why Bud says that "ideas are like seeds." Why does Bud say this?
Bud says that quote in chapter 9: It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small and then ... woop, zoop, sloop ... before you can say...
Bud, Not Buddy
Describe how Bud's pretend mom and dad treat him in Bud, Not Buddy. How do you think he feels when his pretend family...
Bud's pretend mom and dad treat him very well during the all-too-brief period in which they're with him. Had it not been for their keeping up the facade that Bud is their son Clarence, then poor...
Bud, Not Buddy
How do you think Herman E. Calloway and Jimmy feel when they hear Bud’s announcement?
I believe this question is asking about the announcement that Bud makes at the end of chapter 12. This is the point in the book that Bud finally states that he believes that Herman E. Calloway is...
Bud, Not Buddy
What is rule 328 in Bud, Not Buddy?
Early on, Bud introduces the reader to a series of rules and wisdom entitled “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.” Although Bud has...
Bud, Not Buddy
Is the rule in chapter 15 of the novel Bud, Not Buddy meant to help Bud survive or thrive throughout the novel?
There are two rules mentioned in chapter 15 of Bud, Not Buddy. The first is as follows: Rules and Things number 547, or something, that was the one about when a adult tells you, “Don’t Worry.”...
Bud, Not Buddy
What happens when Lefty and Bud are pulled over by the cop?
During their ride back to Flint, a policeman pulls over Lefty Lewis with Bud in the passenger seat. When Lefty Lewis pulls over, he cautions Bud to stay silent and remain in his seat. He then tells...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, what are the most important rules that help Bud survive?
Throughout Bud's journey to Grand Rapids to find Herman Calloway, who ends up being his grandfather, Bud lives by a set of rules he created to help him survive as a homeless orphan during the...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, how are the characters Bud and Herman similar?
On the surface, Bud appears to be completely different from his grandfather, Herman E. Calloway. While Bud is young, enthusiastic, and friendly, Herman is a grumpy, callous old man, who is reserved...
Bud, Not Buddy
How do the band members feel about Bud? What strategies does the author use to help readers figure it out?
Surprisingly, the band members (other than Calloway) are quite cordial and accepting of Bud. They might not be accepting of his notion that Calloway is his father, but the band members don't throw...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why was it important for Herman E Calloway to have a white band member in Bud, Not Buddy? What could a white man do...
Aside from the fact that Dirty Deed is an excellent musician, Herman E. Calloway makes sure to keep at least one white band member because of the prejudices and blatantly unfair laws that exist in...
Bud, Not Buddy
What is the conflict, rising action, and climax in Bud, Not Buddy?
Conflicts are abundant in this book. For example, Bud has a very intense conflict with the Amos family. Specifically, his conflict is with Todd Amos, who thinks that he can beat up Bud with no...
Bud, Not Buddy
What were the four things his mom used to always talk to bud about in Chapters 4-8 of Bud, Not Buddy?
While Bud may mention his mother in each of those chapters, I would focus the motherly advice search to chapter 5. Chapter 4 is still primarily focused on Bud's experience with the Amos family,...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, when Bud sits in a good restaurant with Herman Calloway's band laughing and talking, he can't stop...
Bud starts crying at the restaurant out of a sense of relief and release. After all the years of hardship and sorrow since his mother died four years earlier, he has finally reached his...
Bud, Not Buddy
Bud has a very active imagination. How does this help him throughout the book? Does it ever get him in trouble? Why...
Bud's active imagination gives him hope throughout the novel and encourages him to continue his journey during difficult times. Bud compares his thoughts to tiny seeds that grow into massive maple...
Bud, Not Buddy
What are Bud's rules in Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis? Why does Bud have these rules? What do the rules...
Based on the numbering system that Bud has for his rules, we can tell that there are many of them. For example, rule 118 involves giving adults “Something That They Think They Can Use To Hurt You.”...
Bud, Not Buddy
What are some of Bud's weaknesses in Bud, Not Buddy?
Many of Bud’s weaknesses are actually external (such as poverty and homelessness); however, Bud has two main internal weaknesses as well: his inability to show emotion and his rules. Largely...
Bud, Not Buddy
Describe Bud's first time eating at a restaurant.
In Chapter 14, Bud dines with Herman Calloway and his band at the Sweet Pea. As soon as Bud enters the restaurant, he takes a big "snort of air" and says "This must be exactly how heaven smells!"...
Bud, Not Buddy
How did Bud's new name make him feel?
I believe that this question is asking about Bud's band name that he is given once the members of Calloway's band decide to care for Bud. This occurs in chapter 16, and the first suggested name is...
Bud, Not Buddy
How did Bud feel when Miss Thomas tells him that he will be staying with them?
Miss Thomas tells Bud that she wants him to stay in chapter 16. Bud's immediate reaction is a "gigantic smile" which he says "split [his] face in half." This implies that he is very happy. The...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why is there a family in Hooverville that sits apart from everyone else? What do you think about this?
In chapter eight, Bud links up with his friend Bugs and the two orphans proceed to visit Flint's version of a Hooverville. A Hooverville is a makeshift shantytown named after President Herbert...
Bud, Not Buddy
Where did Bud go when he left the Amos's home?
After Bud survives a vicious hornet attack and gets revenge on Todd, he flees the Amos household with his suitcase and begins walking to the north side library. Bud hopes that he will be able to...
Bud, Not Buddy
What life lesson does Bud learn in Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud learns more than one life lesson over the course of this relatively short novel. A common answer is that Bud learns the value of family, and that is definitely true; however, I don't believe...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why does Herman E. Calloway not like Bud?
In the novel Bud, Not Buddy, Herman E. Calloway is an old, cantankerous individual who is hard to get along with. He is a famous musician who has lost the love of his life, his daughter. Herman's...
Bud, Not Buddy
Why is chapter 17 of Bud Not Buddy so important?
Chapter 17 is important because this is when Bud begins to feel like he belongs. Bud is cleaning as the band sets up, and he’s pretending he’s in Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea, which is how...
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy why did the people in the food line pretend that Bud's name was Clarence?
In Chapter Six of Bud, Not Buddy, Bud accidentally oversleeps and is late to line up at the mission for his breakfast. By the time that he arrives, the line is already two blocks long. As Bud waits...
Bud, Not Buddy
What things contribute to Bud’s belief that Herman E. Calloway is his father in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not...
In Christopher Paul Curtis's young reader's novel Bud, Not Buddy, one reason why the title character Bud believes Herman E. Calloway to be his father has to do with his mother's reaction to a flyer...
Bud, Not Buddy
What major event(s) happened in the beginning, the middle, and the end?P What very important events happened...
Beginning: Bud flees the Amos household by escaping their hornet-infested shed and running to the local library. Bud then meets up with his friend named Bugs and the two boys spend a memorable...
Bud, Not Buddy
Identify three moments in chapter 14 of Bud, Not Buddy that show Bud’s life changing from surviving to thriving....
Chapter 14 is an important chapter in Bud, Not Buddy because it shows Bud in a situation where he isn't trying only to survive. He doesn't have to be on guard and try to watch his entire...
Bud, Not Buddy
What is the evidence of Bud never giving up in Bud, Not Buddy?
Much of Bud, Not Buddy includes the resilience of ten-year-old Bud. Near the beginning of the book, when Bud goes to live with the Amoses, they treat him badly; Todd, the Amos son, beats him, and...
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