Bud, Not Buddy

by Alberto Jimenez Rioja, Christopher Paul Curtis, Reginald André Jackson, aa · 1994

In 1936 Flint, Michigan, ten‑year‑old Bud Caldwell is on the run after his mother’s death, clutching a battered suitcase, a self‑written rulebook, and a flyer for the famed jazz band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. Convinced the flyer points to his missing father, Bud embarks on a daring cross‑country trek, dodging hunger, fear, and even imagined vampires. Along the way he meets a cast of unforgettable characters—kindhearted strangers, a ragtag group of orphans, and the charismatic bandleader Herman E. Calloway—each adding humor, heart, and a swing of jazz to his journey. Christopher Paul Curtis weaves a tender, laugh‑out‑loud tale of resilience and hope that captures the hardships of the Great Depression while celebrating the power of family, friendship, and a boy’s unshakable belief that he can find his place in the world.