We flew through the reading of Bud, Not Buddy this past week or so. The kids really liked it and asked for it to be read whenever we had a few spare minutes. The first couple of chapters were a bit much for Hannah who is quite sensitive to people being mean to each other - the chapters told about some abuse Bud went through at the hands of a short lived foster home. Basically this book is about a boy, Bud, whose mother died a few years before and how he searches for the man he believes to be his father. There is a bit of twist towards the end in how the book wraps up.
As much fun as this book was, I'm not sure it is one that I can necessarily recommend. There is little to no character value in it...Bud has this list of Rules and Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself...many things on this list definitely are insights at looking at life through a kid's eyes, but focusing on that type of thing is not very helpful. Many of the parts that made us laugh were Bud's comments about different people/places he met/went. But, again, knowing what goes on in a 10 year old's mind doesn't really generate qualities I am seeking to develop in my kiddos. There is also this very brief, probably a couple of sentences, section about a smooch between a young girl and Bud - I just mention that because I skipped it as not something I particularly wanted Hannah to fixate on.
I guess this is probably sounding like a negative review, and in some ways it is. However, it is not a terrible book nor one that will ruin a person reading it, and it does a decent job at depicting life in the Great Depression for a young black boy. I'd encourage you to skim the preview pages on Amazon before deciding whether this would be a good fit for your family.
