Bud, Not Buddy Audiobook By Christopher Paul Curtis cover art

Bud, Not Buddy

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Bud, Not Buddy

By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Narrated by: James Avery
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Hit the road with Bud in this Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy on a journey to find his father—from Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him:

1. He has his own suitcase full of special things.
2. He’s the author of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.
3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!

Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road to find this mystery man, nothing can stop him—not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.

“[A] powerfully felt novel.” —The New York Times©1999 Christopher Paul Curtis; (P)2000 Random House, Inc.; Cover Illustration ©1999 Ernie Norcia
Black & African American Classics Family Life Fiction Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Multicultural Stories Newbery Medal Social & Life Skills Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Heartfelt Teen Depression

Critic reviews

AN ALA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS
AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK
AN IRA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WINNER
NAMED TO 14 STATE AWARD LISTS


“The book is a gem, of value to all ages, not just the young people to whom it is aimed.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Will keep readers engrossed from first page to last.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Curtis writes with a razor-sharp intelligence that grabs the reader by the heart and never lets go. . . . This highly recommended title [is] at the top of the list of books to be read again and again.” —Voice of Youth Advocates, starred review

Featured Article: The Best Black Children's Authors to Hear Right Now


If you think kids’ books by African American authors are only for families of color, think again. Consider these Black children’s authors who offer listens to captivate kids of all ages, interests, and ethnic variations. These 10 writers have wonderful, diverse catalogs covering many genres and time periods, and their books aren't just for African American families. Every kid can enjoy and benefit from these absorbing and entertaining listens.

Historical Perspective • Engaging Adventure • Excellent Narration • Heartwarming Journey • Humorous Storytelling

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We listened to this just after Holes and The Giver, which are also good. At first I didn't think it was as good as those. It doesn't have a complex plot and the writing is rather plain. The truth about Bud's background isn't hard to figure out either. So much for my adult ears because my kids really liked it. So after giving it another listen, I changed my mind about it. Any child who listens is going to be comforted by the happy ending and the straight forward story telling. Through the eyes of a child, a great story.

Bud not Buddy

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Not the most interesting in the world but the book is not that bad could be better

Bud

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Read this book to everyone. It's so important and sweet and funny. You'll laugh you'll cry you'll wanna be Bud's friend.

Best book ever

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The story has historical Michigan as it's backdrop. inner city kids will like this story.

Bud from Michigan

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I like this book. It’s really fun to listen to and it teaches a good moral.

Good book

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