Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Bud, Not Buddy  By  cover art

Bud, Not Buddy

By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Narrated by: James Avery
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.50

Buy for $13.50

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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, author of The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963, a Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree.

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.; 1999 Ernie Norcia; 16 9

Critic reviews

Newbery Medal Winner, 2000

Audie Award Nominee, Children's Titles for Ages 8+, 2001

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.

What listeners say about Bud, Not Buddy

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,531
  • 4 Stars
    239
  • 3 Stars
    64
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    41
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,272
  • 4 Stars
    121
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    22
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,216
  • 4 Stars
    166
  • 3 Stars
    50
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    21

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Family Audio

My family and I listned to this book on a short road trip. My boys 6 and 9 loved it as did my husband who does not normally listen to audio books. The narration is wonderful. The story telling is sharp and funny. This is a very easy book to enjoy again and again. In fact both my boys have already played it a secound time just for the fun of it. Absolutely 5 stars!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Bud, Not Buddy

This is my favorite book in the world, its breathtaking, adventurious, depressing and elating all at the same time. you read this book (or listen to this book) you won't be sorry I guarantee!
Age 10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this story!

This is a great story! I was touched by Bud's steely determination and drive to find his true father. The book is well-written and will have you laughing, hoping, and crying. The way everything works out makes this a must-listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Still one of my top 10 favorites after 14 years

This book was even better than I remembered! I had to read this in the 5th grade and I loved getting to listen to Bud's story again for the first time in 14 years. I appreciate his struggle and of the people around him more than I did back then. It's an amazing story to lose yourself in and the narrator was perfect. I felt like I was sitting in a room with Mr. Bud Caldwell listening to him recount his childhood. I couldn't stop smiling most of the time I listened.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

This was a great book to listen to with the kids, funny and touching. We have listened to this one more than once. Definately worth a credit!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, great story-telling!

Such a great story!! I wish I had read this when I was 10 or 11. I would have so enjoyed it. The writing was amazing. So funny, entertaining, poignant. So creative. And had bits of actual Depression-era history thrown in. And the narration could not have been more perfect! A+!!!!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Bud not Buddy

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

EXCELLENT

I have read this book before but in my mind I never imagined Bud's voice like this. The narrator really made me really love this book all over again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a great story!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Bud, Not Buddy to be better than the print version?

Yes! The Narration is wonderful and I love the Jazz music that plays along in the background before and after the chapters.

What did you like best about this story?

The mood of the era is set well and the characters are well described. You could almost imagine what the scenes from each chapter would look like.

What about James Avery’s performance did you like?

Bravo Mr. Avery!! He really gave a good sense of the characters of the story. This along with the music that played, really makes the reader feel as if they are watching a movie.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This made me laugh,made me a little sad, and made me happy!!

Any additional comments?

My son enjoyed this book tremendously!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bucket list

So I bought this book when I was 12 years old. never read it I have always told my self one day I will read it as time went by life got busier and I never did. now at 30 years old I finally got to the end of the book thanks audible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful