journal prompt #4


by Andrea Rossignol


The major themes in this book was race and treating everyone with kindness. Bud was singled out and not able to get food at the food line because of his race, white people were able to get food before the blacks were. The book was also focused on respect and being kind to others. The Amos’s did not care about Bud so they did not feel bad about putting him in the shed for the night. They treating him poorly which was not right at all. They didn’t care that he had lost so much in his life including his own mother. Whereas Herman E. Calloway cared for Bud and loved him in a way Bud needed. At first Herman did not like Bud but he came around and understood that Bud need his support. Bud eventually became a member of the band when Herman bought him a saxophone and taught him how to play it. Herman’s family also loved Bud and treated him very nicely. Herman’s wife especially loved Bud, she would help with getting to bed make sure he was full after each meal, she wanted Bud to be safe at her home. The book also showed me all the different character traits someone has. The Amos’s were mean people, Bugs was a best friends Bud could ever need. Herman E. Calloway and his wife were Bud’s parents and the band members we like Buds other uncles who he could joke around with and play music with all the time. There are so many different kind of people out in the world. You just have to choose the right ones.

journal prompt #3

by Andrea Rossignol

Although this movie is a lot different to Bud Not Buddy, this book reminds me of The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. In this movie we learned about a boy who was in the concentration camp for Jews. A German boy did not know why this boy was there and when he found out he did not care because they were friends and even though the Jewish boy was not from the same country as the German boy, it did not matter at all the German boy wanted to help the Jew find his father no matter what would happen. This is just like the fact that since Bud did not have a lot of money like Herman E. Calloway and was homeless in Bud Not Buddy, Herman did not care, instead he wanted to help him out and find Bud a place to stay where he could get food and warmth. In the Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, the German would always bring the Jew food even though that was against the rules. The German felt bad for the Jew so he did whatever he could do to help his friend out. After a while, Herman started to take a real liking to bud so he made Bud on of his family and band members, he got him a saxophone and taught him how to play so he could be with the band. The German boy didn’t care that his parents did not like the Jews, he gave him food, sat with him and talked with him. No matter what race or where in the world you’re from, no one gets left alone and we should all know what it’s like to feel special.

 journal prompt #2


by Andrea Rossignol






 
I definitely see life differently now after reading Bud Not Buddy. Even though buds circumstances were a lot different than mine will ever be, I know that if he never gave up until he got what he wanted I can do the same. No matter what problem I’m in, I will not give up until I am safe and am in the position I know is best for me. I learnt that friends are always important to have. No matter what the situation, if you have a good friend to talk to, they can always help you out with just talking like when bugs was there for bud. I was never the type to judge people about their colour but this book made me have a different perspective on other people and how much respect there is for people of other race. Even though some one is of different colour or beliefs, that doesn’t mean they need to be treated differently. Just like people who aren’t fortunate enough to have money for food are shelter, they never asked for that so we need to treat them the same way we would treat family or friends and help them out. I will definitely be treating people who have nothing differently and whenever someone who is put in that situation, I will give them money or buy them food. I also learned to embrace my family more because I never know when the last I will get to see them is. Bud lost his mother when he was very small and he did not know who his father was but luckily found out later on in the book. Family is so important to have so no matter what happens, family comes first. This book taught me a lot about how I see life and myself so I will think more clearly whenever I have an opinion about something.

journal prompt #1

by Andrea Rossignol

This book affected me greatly. I felt all sorts of emotions while reading. I felt sad for bud that his mother died and that he had to go to an orphanage and to several foster homes that he hated. For a kid his age, having to go through moving to different homes, meeting new people that you are going to live with for a long time and having to make new friends must be very difficult. I felt angry when bud was at the Amos’s house and they son was being mean to bud and ratting bud out to the boy’s parents made me very angry and I felt for bud. It would be very difficult having to live with someone you know did not like you and who would tell on you for things you did not do. When bud was sent to the shed for the night at the Amos’s, I felt very sad that bud was in a small, dark and scary place with no one to help him. After bud escaped the shed and found his way to the library I also felt safe because all my emotions were with bud at that moment and I felt very happy that he was at a place where he felt safe and could sleep for a little while. When bud was reunited with his best friend bugs, I could relate to bud because I know what it’s like to be away from a friend and then finally be with them again so I was very happy. While reading the end of the book I couldn’t help but feel very happy for bud. After going through what he has as a young boy, from bring in a foster home that was terrible to being homeless for a while, he was finally in a family that loved him and he loved with endless food and warmth it made me feel like I was connected with bud and I was there with him through his journey and I just felt so happy for him.

  How does bud get to the building where Herman E. Calloway is practicing with his band?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud got to Herman E. Calloway buy walking from Flint to Grand Rapids and then got a ride from one of Herman’s band mates to the building and that's how he met Herman E. Calloway. It took Bud a very long time because he needed to catch a train but he missed it so he had to walk but had to hide from the police so that he wasn't caught and brought back to his foster home. then he had to figure out where Herman actually was.

What was it like for bud living in an orphanage and a foster home?

by Andrea Rossignol

It was tough for bud to be in an orphanage because the kids that were there were a lot younger than bud was so thy got adopted and bud didn’t. Living at the foster home was also tough for bud since the Amos’s son did not like him and always told his parents that bud was being mean to him so bud would get in trouble.

Where was bud staying when he found bugs and why was he there?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud was sleeping underneath a Christmas tree in front of the library when bugs found him. Bud was underneath the tree because he had escaped from the shed at the Amos’s so he was trying to hide. He went to the library to stay there but it was already locked so he decided to sleep underneath the tree. He was also there so that he could wake up early and have a short walk to the food line.

Whose house does bud end up staying at?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud ends up staying at the Calloway’s home. They take him in since he has no place to stay. Herman E. Calloway did not like bud very much but he started to like him a lot near the end of the book. Mrs. Calloway really liked Bud and she made sure that he was comfortable, safe and full after each meal. Bud liked it at there house because it was like the family h never had and even though Herman wasn't Bud's father, he was still family.

Why does bud enjoy going to the library so much?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud enjoys going to the library because he loves to read and he got to learn a lot about the world and where he was living. There was also a very nice librarian that was very nice to bud, she would let him take out any book he wanted and he would bring it back when ever he was finished. Bud felt safe at the library, he did not need to worry about being hit by the Amos's or have to sleep in the shed again, running away from cops. He could just read for hours and not worry about anything.

When bud had to stay in the shed for one night at the Amos’s house, what was it like?

by Andrea Rossignol

The shed that bud had to stay at was terrible. The door was locked so he couldn’t get out, there was what looked like to be a blood stain on the floor and bud could not even look out the window, there were wooden boards covering the windows. Bud was trying to sleep on the floor when he looked up and saw a black mark on the ceiling. When Bud hit what he thought was a bat on the ceiling, it turned out to be a hornets nest and bud got stung everywhere on his body.

Why does Bud enjoy staying at the Calloway’s house out of all the places he’s stayed at?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud enjoyed staying at the Calloway’s house because they were treating him very nice and he got along with all the members of the family. Bud got lots of food every day and he learned to play the saxophone so he could be in the band with Herman. Bud, living at the Calloway's, did not have to worry about anything. He was with his new family who loved him a lot and gave him everything he needed.

What is it like for bud at the Amos’s house?

by Andrea Rossignol

Bud doesn’t like it at the Amos’s home because there 12 year old son would always make fun of bud and call him buddy. If bud would do something bad to their son, bud would have to sleep in the shed for the night which was a terrible place. The shed would be locked so Bud could not get out and the windows were blocked with wooden boards. one night bud was attacked by hornets when he thought the nest was a bat and Bud hit it with a bat.

How did the Great Depression affect bud?

by Andrea Rossignol

The great depression affected bud greatly because since there was no money being made he could not buy food or clothing. The only place he could get food was at the place where they give out food to the poor but sometimes bud couldn’t get food there because you had to be in the line very early in the morning. Sometimes fights would break as other people were waiting for food. As a young boy who needs food Bud went days sometimes without food.

  Where was this story taken place and in what year?

by Andrea Rossignol

This story takes place in the 1930’s during the great depression. Bud is living in a foster home in Flint Michigan. After leaving his foster home, bud travels to Grand Rapids to find his father who is in a band called  Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastator's of the Great Depression. Along the way of bud's travels we see how he lived on his own and we find out who Herman E. Calloway really is.

Who is Bugs? And how did he get his name?

by Catrina Earnshaw

Bugs is one of Bud’s friends from the orphanage. He finds Bud after Bud ran away from the home and together they decide to take a train to Chicago. Unfortunately, Bud was unable to get on the train and gets separated from Bugs. He got nicknamed Bugs because once got a cockroach in his ear. They had to take it out with tweezers but Bugs "swore that cockroach was talkin'" to him.

Who is Lefty Lewis?

by Catrina Earnshaw

Lefty Lewis picked Bud up by the road to the Grand Rapids. He is a sweet black man and he takes Bud to his daughter’s house to get him fed and to give him clean clothing. He brings blood to hospitals that need it and takes union flyers to illegal organizations.

Who is Angela Caldwell?

by Catrina Earnshaw

Angela Caldwell is dead throughout the book. She is Bud’s mom and we also figure out that she is Herman Caldwell's daughter. Angela Caldwell ran away from her father because he was too hard on her but he acted that way because he only wanted the best for her. He pushed her to excel in all the activities she did but it just pushed her away from him. She died when Bud was 6 from a sudden illness leaving him an orphan. Angela is an important character to the plot since she ties everything together.

Who is Herman Calloway?
by Catrina Earnshaw

Herman Calloway is a grumpy musician who is famous across the Grand Rapids in Michigan for playing the bass fiddle. He is very stubborn and not always the nicest.  Bud says "But isn't it just my luck to come clean across the state to find my daddy and he turns out to be a mean old coot?" (78) which shows how Mr. Calloway comes off as cranky. He doesn’t like people wasting his time, especially not Bud. We figure out in the end of the novel that the reason why he is so cranky is because his daughter left him and he was upset about that. In the beginning, Bud believes that Mr. Calloway is his father, but in the end it turns out that Mr. Calloway is his grandfather and Bud’s mother is the one who left him Mr. Calloway. In the end, Mr. Calloway opens up more and becomes nicer after he finds out that Bud is his grandson.

Give examples of Bud’s innocence
by Catrina Earnshaw

Early in the book, Bud describes how he doesn’t like being six. He explains about how your teeth start falling out and unnerves Bud. He also thinks “you’ve got to wonder what’s coming off next, your arm?” (5) which shows how innocent he is because he worries about such a natural occurrence  and his thoughts seems to stray towards what else could happen, like his arm falling off.  Bud also says "I was carefuller talking to him this time so he couldn't track where I was" (30). He believes that if he is caught, he’ll have to return to the home with the other orphans but he just wants his dad and to have a family.

What does Todd Amos do to Bud? and what does his parents do to Bud?
by Catrina Earnshaw

Todd Amos bullies Bud and hits him. The novel says that Todd did this to all the colored boys who came to live with them. When Bud tried to fight back Todd's dad walked in and Todd said that Bud was the one causing the problem. So Todd’s parents made Bud sleep in the shed which Bud found very frightening because they’re were bugs and it was dark. After the family treating him that way Bud ran away.

 

What is Miss Grace Thomas’s role in the book?
by Catrina Earnshaw

Miss Grace Thomas is the vocalist of the band. She also knew Bud’s mother very well and acts like a mother towards Bud. She tucks him into bed and folds his clothes. He thinks that her voice is beautiful and he gets memorized by it. Bud really likes Miss Thomas and Miss Thomas really likes Bud. Bud describes her as “the most beautiful woman in the world” because she is so loving and caring towards Bud.

Who are the band members and what do they do?

by: Catrina Earnshaw

The band is called "Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression", The band members are Steady Eddie, the Thug, Dirty Deed, Mr. Jimmy and Doo-Doo Bug. The band members teach Bud how to be a good person and they tease Bud. They buy him a saxophone and make him one of them with a secret ceremony which makes him feel more accepted.

Why does Bud not like the age six?

by Catrina Earnshaw

Bud doesn’t like the age six because it’s “at six that grown folks don’t think you’re a cute little kid anymore, they talk to you and expect that you understand everything they mean” (4). He says that adults also start hitting you. Also your teeth start falling out and Bud finds that scary. He says “you’ve got to wonder what’s coming off next, your arm?” (5). He also briefly talks about how he ended up as an orphan when he was 6 because his mom died.

Who is the main character and describe him?
Catrina Earnshaw

The main character of the novel is Bud Caldwell who is a ten year old African-American boy. He is an orphan who has suffered a lot, his mom died when he was six and he’s been living in a home since because his dad hasn’t been around. Unfortunately, his mother died expectantly from an illness. He decides he wants to find his father and goes through many obstacles to find him, like being bullied by Todd Amos, one of the kids from one of the families he stayed with. Bud is determined to find his dad and works hard to reach his goal.

Journal Prompt #4

By: Catrina Earnshaw

 This novel reminds me of Dave at Night which is a novel that is written by Gail Carson Levine. They have similar plots. In Dave at Night, Dave becomes an orphan and goes to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated unfairly and cruelly. He begins to sneak out at night and is accepted into the Harlem Renaissance and its culture and music. Bud is also an orphan in the Bud not Buddy, and discovers the group “Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression" and becomes a secret member of their group. They also give him a saxophone and he shows a great appreciation for music during the novel. Bud was also treated unfairly when he was at the Amos’s which caused him to run away. Both boys seemed to find comfort in music and both books explored the issue of poverty. Also in both books, you get to see from the perspective of a young orphan boy and you get to see their innocence and youthfulness. Both boys are impressed by fairly simple things like typical children like how Bud was so impressed by running hot water. Both books are very similar and if you enjoy either one I definitely suggest you to read the other! Both books are very well written and interesting.

Journal Prompt #3

By: Catrina Earnshaw
The novel Bud not Buddy also explores a social issue that continues to be a worldwide problem. The book is based on the 1930s but poverty is an issue to this day. The book was based on the 1930s during the Great Depression when it was hard to find jobs so Bud grew up very poor. After Bud runs away from the Amos’s house, he is homeless and has no money. Throughout the book we see how hard it was for Bud to get money for shelter and food during this time. “These Amoses had hot water running right into the house!” (18). Bud was amazed by the Amos’s common luxuries since Bud never got these privileges because he was in a home for orphans for the majority of his life. “The way there're more and more kids coming into the Home every day, I had to make sure no one had run off with any of my things.”(33).There are many possible reasons why so many kids are ending up in the home like their families being too poor because of the Great Depression or their parents dying like Bud’s. This quote shows how poverty is really changing people’s lives and how Bud has to be careful because the kids don’t have much. Bud met many problems because of poverty but got through them.

Journal Prompt #2

By: Catrina Earnshaw
 

A very big social issue explored in the novel Bud not Buddy is race and racism. We get to follow the experiences of an African-American ten year old orphan boy during the years of the 1930s. “Right before we got into the cardboard jungle we passed the white people with the coughing baby at their own little fire (…) All they're eating is dandelion greens soup, they're broke, their clothes are falling off of them, their baby's sick but when someone took them some food and blankets, the man said, ‘Thank you very much, but we're white people. We ain't in need of a handout.’” (186-187). This quote shows how in that time a white family was too proud to take things from a black family even if they were going through extremely tough times. Even though both families were going through the same hardships, the white family still felt above the black family. “They were all the colors you could think of, black, white and brown, but the fire made them look like they were different shades of orange. There were dark orange folks sitting next to medium orange folks sitting next to light orange folks.” (77). This is a very interesting quote because it’s told from a child, Bud’s, perspective. Bud knows that they are all different but in the light of the fire sees all of the different races as the same. They go from black, white, and brown to all shades of orange. This scene highlights their similarity and unity. The novel displays the social issue of racism and what it causes very well.

Bud not Buddy journal prompt #1

Journal Prompt #1

By: Catrina Earnshaw

Bud has to take on many responsibilities throughout the book but in the novel Bud sets a very youthful and innocent tone. He acts very child-like and has many childish opinions. In the first chapter Bud describes how he doesn’t like being six. He talks about how your teeth start falling out and that frightens Bud. He also says “you’ve got to wonder what’s coming off next, your arm?” (5). This proves how innocent he is because he has a fear of such a natural thing and his mind seems to wander towards what his teeth falling out could lead to, like his arm falling off.  Bud also says "I was carefuller talking to him this time so he couldn't track where I was" (30). He believes that if he is caught, he’ll have to return to the home, which he doesn’t want, he just wants his dad and a family. This shows the books innocent and youthful side since all Bud wants is to feel loved and accepted. This quote also shows the development of his language because he uses the word “carefuller” which is in fact not a word but he doesn’t know any better considering the fact that he is only ten years old. You can also see youthful he is by the way he thinks. He thinks of smaller goals one at a time like strangers, food and sleep and deals with them individually. One of the reasons he might be so innocent is because his mom died when he was so young and his father wasn’t around for him so he grew up without parents but in a home filled with lots of other children. Overall the tone of the novel is very innocent and childish because of Buds thinking and actions.