Blanca N. Sosa

SLIS 5960.001

Maymester 2002

Multicultural Literature Activity

Young Adult Activity

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte Press 1999.

This story is about Bud Caldwell, a 10-year-old black homeless boy who decides to search for his dad. It takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Bud’s mother died when he was six and has left him with a suitcase filled with a few memories including a few mysterious labeled rocks, some flyers advertising Herman F. Calloway and his blanket. Bud goes to a shelter for food and enjoys going to the library. Bud runs away from a foster home after being abused in Flint, Michigan and heads toward Grand Rapids in search of his dad. He is helped along the way by Mr. Lefty Lewis who reminds him how dangerous it is for a black boy to be alone at two o clock in the morning.Bud sees some blood in his truck and assumes he is a vampire. Mr. Lewis eventually is able to convince Bud otherwise and helps him find Herman E. Calloway, a famous musician whom Bud believes to be his father. Mr. Calloway denies that he is Bud’s father. Eventually, Bud is able to prove that he is related to Mr. Calloway by the items in his suitcase. At the end we find out Mr. Calloway is Bud’s grandfather. Bud’s struggle to survive, his innocence, and sense of humor make him memorable. This book portrays human qualities that go beyond race, time, or place.

Pre Reading Activity:

Ask the students the following questions:

1. What do you know about the Great Depression?
2. How did the Great Depression affect families of all socioeconomic levels?
3. Tell the students Bud, the main character of the story is homeless. Where do you think he would he go for a hot meal?
4. What other types of organizations helped people during the Great Depression.
5. What type of organizations in our town provide food and shelter for homeless today?

Vocabulary:

1. Give the students the following vocabulary words.

2. Ask them to find the definitions in a dictionary and write them next to word.
3. Ask the students to find the following words in the book (Bud, not Buddy). Write the sentence from the book, which utilizes this word. Note the page number is next to vocabulary word.
4. Write your own sentence utilizing this word.

Vocabulary words

1. urchins (p. 12)

2. ingratitude (p. 14)

3. vermin (p. 15)

4. matrimonial (p. 56)

5. devoured (p. 91)

6. ventriloquists (p. 101)

7. sully (p. 141)

8. embouchure (p. 194)

9. prodigy (p. 196)

Topic Focusing:

Ask the students to form groups of two or three.

Teacher may assign one of the five listed topics to group or have students select one.

Objectives:

• Research a specific topic for the 1930’s.
• Write an article about your topic.
• Find a photo to accompany your article.
• Submit a written report of findings.
• Verbal class presentation.

Topics:

• Current Events – The Great Depression. Bud realizes life is hard during the Great Depression. Describe the Great Depression and how it affected people in the United States. Include information on at least two “towns” which were described in the story. Provide an appropriate photo of the Great Depression.
• Labor Strikes – Bud learns about the possibility of a labor strike during the story. Give some general information about labor strikes in the 1930’s as well as specific information about strikes in Flint, Michigan. Include a photo. Do labor strikes still occur today? Give an example of a recent labor strike.
• Entertainment – Jazz/Swing Music. Bud learns about jazz music when he stays with Calloway’s band. Write an article about jazz music (often called Swing) in the 1930’s. Choose a famous musician from this period and include some information about his or her music and life. Include a picture of the musician and if possible share audio recording with class.
• Technology – in the 1930’s. People in the 1930’s used different technology than we use today. Lefty Lewis sends a telegram to Herman Calloway informing him Bud is safe. Report on some of the new technology in the 1930’s. Include information about a specific invention during this time period and include a photo.
• Riding the Rails – in the 1930’s. Bud traveled by Rail several times. Tell us what it was like for an African American to ride the rails during the great depression. Include a photo.

2. The Resources section lists several websites for your topic. Look at the websites and take notes. Be sure to answer the questions for your topic. Look for a photo that will fit in with your story and save it to a disk.

3. Using Microsoft Word, write your article about 250 words on your topic. Include your photo with a caption. Include a Bibliography of sources.

4. Make a verbal presentation to class on assigned topic.

Resources

Current Events/Great Depression

http://nhmccd.edu/contracts/lrc/kc/decade30.html

http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore/museums/hismus/1900-75/depressn/labnews2.htm.

Photos: http://www.corbis.com/experience/FDR/fsa/map.htm.

Business News/Labor Strikes: (photos available) http://sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore/museums/hismus/1900-75/dpressn/laborun.htm.

http://www.detnews.com/history/flint/flint.htm

Technology News/Telecommunications: (photos available)

http://www.research.att.com/history/train.html

http://www.mediahistory.com/time/1930s.html

Entertainment News/Jazz Music:

http://www.jazzhall.org Note: Click on Jazzology, then Jazz History, then Swing to find out about Jazz from the 1930’s.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/timeline.htm

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/kids

http://www.worldbook.com/fun/aamusic/html/jazz.htm (click on listen and learn to follow the evolution of jazz)

http://fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/depress.htm#top (popular songs of depression)

Photos: http://www.redhotjazz.com

Newspaper Layout: http://xroads.virginia.edu/g/1930s/PRINT/printframe.html

Riding the Rails:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rails/sfeature/obstacles.htm.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rails/sfeature/tales.htm (click on added obstacles to find out how being African American was especially difficult)

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis was born in 1954. Like his characters in both of his novels, he was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He worked in a local automotive assembly plant for more than 10 years after graduating from high school. After several years he began attending classes at the University of Michigan part time, while holding down another job, and finally graduating in 1996. During that time, he won the University’s Hopwood prize for a rough draft of his story. He took a year off to write. His son Steven typed the manuscript on a daily basis while his wife assumed many of the financial responsibilities. With the support of his family his first novel was completed by the end of 1993. He entered his manuscript into a national writing contest. Although his story did not meet the content’s guidelines, the Delacorte editor responded favorably to the novel and began making arrangements to publish it. He presently resides in Ontario Canada.

His awards include: Best Books for Young Adults and Golden Kite Award, all 1996, all for The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963; John Newberry Medal, and Coretta Scott King Award, both from American Library Association, both 2000, both for Bud, not Buddy. His awards received include Best Books, Publishers Weekly and New York Times Books Review, both 1995, Coretta Scott King Text Honor, and Newberry Honor Book, American Library.

His writings include:

The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963, Delacorte (New York City), 1995.

Bud, Not Buddy. Delacorte Press (New York City), 1999.

Works in Progress: A novel about a sit-down strike in a Flint assembly plant, for Delacorte.