Bud, Not Buddy
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
5th Grade Book Club Unit
Sanford Creek Elementary School
1
Table of Contents
Pre-reading Activities
3-5
Theme: Party Planning
3
Theme Organizer
5
Time Period
4
Making Meaning
6
Character Analysis
7-11
Chapter 1-3 Questions
12
Chapter 4-8 Questions
13
Chapter 9-11 Questions
14
Chapter 12-14 Questions
15
Chapter 15-19 Questions
16-17
Discussion Questions
18-20
2
Pre-reading Activities
Theme : Party Planning
You are to plan a “pretend” party of your choice and choose a theme. Brainstorm what types
of possible parties they can plan such as a Hawaiian theme, 4th of July theme, Super Bowl
theme, 90s theme, etc. Think about your invitation, food menu, costumes/clothing,
props/decorations, and activities etc.
Party Theme
Food Menu
Sketch of Invitation
Props/Decorations Needed
Activities
3
Pre-reading Activities continued…
Identifying the theme in a novel, story, or poem can be a tricky and challenging task because usually
many ideas are interwoven together. With your other Book Club members, discuss your party theme
and details of your party.
Themes are located everywhere (different types of music, movies) but especially in the material they
read. A theme in reading material is basically like the theme in your party with many details
supporting a major big idea. Identifying a theme can be difficult to detect at times and you must be a
detective and use clues from the story. Theme is the story’s main message or lesson about life
that the writer wants to share.
Write your own definition of theme.
Time Period
This book takes place during the Great Depression, a time of great hardship for many Americans.
Many Americans experienced hunger, joblessness, and homelessness. The events in this story
occurred in the 1930s, decades before many Civil Rights advances came about for African Americans.
This made the Great Depression especially difficult for African Americans. Encourage students to
read about the Great Depression in other books from the school library.
In the box below, jot down why you think life as an African American was especially during the time of
the Great Depression.
4
As you read Bud, Not Buddy, jot down the information in the following graphic organizer to help you
identify the theme in the story.
Theme Organizer
Important Events from Plot
Setting
Characters
Ouotations and Explanations
Theme Statement:
5
Making Meaning
1. Explain the following statement in your own words.
“When one door is closed, another will be opened”
2. Look up the following words in the dictionary.
Fate -
Destiny -
Racism -
Segregation -
Civil Rights -
6
Character Analysis
7
Character Analysis continued…
8
Character Analysis continued…
9
Character Analysis continued…
10
Character Analysis continued…
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Chapter 1-3 Questions
1. Why is Bud in an orphanage?
2. Where are Bud and Jerry being sent to? How does Bud feel about it?
3. Describe what happens to Bud in the Amoses’ home.
4. Where do the Amoses put Bud? What is he afraid of there?
5. Why do you think Bud has his ‘Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar
Out of Yourself’?
6. What does Bud carry in his suitcase? Why do you think his suitcase and its contents are so
important to him?
7. What do you think the author’s purpose is for using language that sounds a ten year old?
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Chapter 4-8 Questions
1. How did Bud get revenge on Todd Amos?
2. Why do you think Bud went to the library and to find Miss Hill? Why is Miss Hill not at the library?
3. Describe a flashback from this section of the novel.
4. How does Bud get to eat at the mission even though he was late for breakfast?
5. How did Bugs get his name?
6. What plans do Bud and Bugs make? Where do they go?
7. Describe ‘Hooperville’.
8. Who is Deza Malone? Why does Bud tell so much to her? What did she and Bud do while they were
washing dishes?
9. Describe what happens in the early morning at the shanty town.
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Chapter 9-11 Questions
1. Why does Bud go back to the library a second? What has he decided to do?
2. What does Bud compare his idea about his father to?
3. Describe Bud’s feelings as he begins to walk to Flint?
4. Describe the situation when he meets Mr. Lewis?
5. Why does Bud think that Mr. Lewis is a vampire?
6. What does Bud tell Lefty Lewis that he is doing out walking at night?
7. Who is Mr. Lewis and where does he take Bud?
8. Describe what happens to Bud at Scott and Kim’s house?
9. What kind of relationship does Mr. Lewis have with his daughter and her family?
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Chapter 12-14 Questions
1. When Lefty Lewis and Bud start out toward Flint, what does Lefty tell Bud he has sent to Mr.
Calloway?
2. What did the flyers say that Lefty has with him? Why was important that the cop not see them?
3. How is Bud able to go into the Log Cabin without Lefty talking to Herman E.Calloway?
4. What is Mr. Calloway’s reaction to Bud and his news?
5. What is the band’s reaction to Bud?
6. Who is Miss Thomas? What does Bud think about her?
7. Why do think that the band member have nicknames? List the band members, their nicknames, and
what instruments they play.
8. What happens at the restaurant?
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Chapter 15-19 Questions
1. Where do they take Bud? How did it get its name?
2. Describe the room that Bud has to stay in.
3. Describe the flashback Bud has when Mr. Calloway warns him not to touch anything in the bedroom.
4. What agreement or decision do they reach about Bud?
5. What does Bud think of Herman E. Calloway? Why?
6. What does Steady Eddie bring from Bud that first morning?
7. How do the ‘rocks’ become an issue?
8. Why does Mr. Calloway collect rocks? What does he write on them?
9. Describe the events that follow Bud telling Mr. Calloway about the rocks.
11. What proof does Bud have in his suitcase that proves who he and his mother are?
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12. Why do you think Bud tries to comfort Mr. Calloway?
Chapter 15-19 Questions continued…
13. What instrument does the band bring Bud? What nickname do they give him and how do they come
up with the name?
14. Has Bud finally found a home? Why do you think this?
15. Why does Bud put away or give back the items in his suitcase? What item does he keep? Why do
you think he keeps that item?
16. What kind of mother do you think Bud’s mother was? Explain using examples from the story.
17
Discussion Questions: Choose 2 questions and answer them on the next lined pages.
1. After being beaten up and forced to sleep in a shed in his new foster home, ten- year- old Bud
decides to go "on the lam." He runs away from the foster home and from the orphanage where
he'd lived before going to the home. During the depression, many children were forced to
travel by themselves. Think about Bud's experiences in the library, the bread line, and the
Hooverville. Do you think he was luckier than most children on their own? Why or why not?
2. Times were hard for lots of people during the Great Depression- not just Bud. Talk your own
families to find out about how your grandparents and great- grandparents were affected by
the depression. Share their stories with your classmates.
3. Herman E. Calloway always made sure that one member of his band was white.
Why was it important for him to have a white band member? What could a white man do in the
1930s that a black man wasn't allowed to do?
4. The Great Depression took place before people had televisions. Movies and live entertainment,
like jazz bands, were especially important in helping people forget their own hardships. Go to
your community library and check out some CDs of 1930s jazz. You might want to listen to
Betty Carter, the musical inspiration for Miss Thomas, or Billie Holiday, another legendary jazz
singer. Play the music for your classmates, and discuss how this music compares to today's
popular music.
5. After Bud's momma dies and he is moved from the orphanage into foster homes, he stops
crying when things make him sad. He says he doesn't have any more tears. But when he sits in a
good restaurant with Herman Calloway's band laughing and talking, he can't stop crying. Why
do you think Bud cries that night?
6. Bud's story takes place during the 1930s, when orphanages are still common and lots of
children and families have lost everything due to the Great Depression. How do you think life
would be different for Bud if he was growing up today?
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Discussion Question Responses
Discussion Question Number
19
Discussion Question Responses
Discussion Question Number
20