I said, “No, sir. I don’t know why, but my eyes don’t cry no more.”
Steady Eddie said, “I like that, ‘my eyes don’t cry no more.’ You mind if I borrow that? That sounds like a great name for a song.”
I said, “No, sir, I don’t mind at all.”
I’m not sure why this section made left a strong impression on me. Perhaps it’s because of how simple it is and how much it reveals through its simplicity. A ten-year-old boy says his eyes don’t cry anymore. It’s heartbreaking and poetic–and this little exchange makes us notice both.
Bud, Not Buddy is a precious book, bursting with the kind of innocence that makes my heart ache, much like The Mighty Miss Malone, which I read and loved several years ago.
Armed with a set of rules to have a funner life and be a better liar, Bud sets out to look for his father. All he has to help him is a suitcase full of his treasures. Some of his treasures are rocks with places and dates on them. Others are flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band. Why would his mother have kept these flyers if Herman E. Calloway wasn’t his father?
Conviction, optimism, street smartness, and a little bit of luck come together as Bud travels from Flint where he lived in a Home, to the Great Rapids, where he is sure he will find his father. With Bud, we experience fear and anticipation, love and heartbreak, laughter and tears. Humour drives the story just as much as emotion does, making Bud, Not Buddy a heartwarming read that we tear through and finish with a smile. I’m not surprised that this charming story has sold over four million copies and won the Newbery!
| Title | Bud, Not Buddy |
| Author | Christopher Paul Curtis |
| Tags | Middle Grade, African American, Historical Fiction |
| Ages | 10+ |
| Rating | 4.5 |
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