Module Five: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bibliography

Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York, NY: Yearling.

Summary

During the Depression era in Flint, Michigan, 10-year-old orphan Bud (not Buddy) Caldwell takes on a great adventure in search of his father, Herman E. Calloway, the jazz musician. After a series of ill-fated stays at foster homes, Bud is out of options. His mother died when he was six, leaving him with little information about his father, aside from some flyers of band leader Herman E. Calloway and his band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. Armed with his trusty suitcase, containing his most important, secret things, and Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself, Bud sets out for the 120-mile walk from Flint to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Along the way, he meets Lefty Lewis, who drives him the rest of the way to his destination. Once in Grand Rapids, Bud meets Calloway, whom he believes is his father, as well as Calloway's band mates, who are charmed by the boy. His father's identity is finally revealed, and the answer surprises them all, Calloway included.

 

My Impressions

I wasn't sure I would like this book, given the young male protagonist and depression-era setting, but I was pleasantly surprised. What I enjoyed most was the resilience that author Curtis injected into Bud, as well as the character's delightful sense of humor. Regardless of how difficult his circumstances, Bud always perseveres. When placed in foster care with the Amos family, Bud is treated miserably, particularly by Mrs. Amos and her coddled son, Toddy. During his first night with the Amos', Bud wakes up in pain to Toddy shoving a pencil up his nose and then bragging about how far up he's gotten it. Then they take away his beloved suitcase as punishment for fighting with Toddy. Finally, after they lock Bud inside a shed overnight, he escapes the Amos household for good. All the while, though, he manages to stay focused on his goal -- finding his father -- and maintain his sense of humor. These qualities keep the reader engaged throughout Bud's struggles, making the end result that much more rewarding.

 

Reviews

Publisher's Weekly
"As in his Newbery Honor-winning debut, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, Curtis draws on a remarkable and disarming mix of comedy and pathos, this time to describe the travails and adventures of a 10-year-old African-American orphan in Depression-era Michigan. Bud is fed up with the cruel treatment he has received at various foster homes, and after being locked up for the night in a shed with a swarm of angry hornets, he decides to run away. His goal: to reach the man he--on the flimsiest of evidence--believes to be his father, jazz musician Herman E. Calloway. Relying on his own ingenuity and good luck, Bud makes it to Grand Rapids, where his "father" owns a club. Calloway, who is much older and grouchier than Bud imagined, is none too thrilled to meet a boy claiming to be his long-lost son. It is the other members of his band--Steady Eddie, Mr. Jimmy, Doug the Thug, Doo-Doo Bug Cross, Dirty Deed Breed and motherly Miss Thomas--who make Bud feel like he has finally arrived home. While the grim conditions of the times and the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis shines on them an aura of hope and optimism. And even when he sets up a daunting scenario, he makes readers laugh--for example, mopping floors for the rejecting Calloway, Bud pretends the mop is "that underwater boat in the book Momma read to me, Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea." Bud's journey, punctuated by Dickensian twists in plot and enlivened by a host of memorable personalities, will keep readers engrossed from first page to last."

Horn Book Magazine

"In a story that's as far-fetched as it is irresistible, and as classic as it is immediate, a deserving orphan boy finds a home, It's the Depression, and. Bud (not Buddy) is ten and has been on his own since his mother died when he was six. In and out of the Flint, Michigan, children's home and foster homes ever since, Bud decides to take off and find his father after a particularly terrible, though riotously recounted, evening with his latest foster family. Helped only by a few clues his mother left him, and his own mental list of "Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself," Bud makes his way to a food pantry, then to the library to do some research (only to find that his beloved librarian, one Charlemae Rollins, has moved to Chicago), and finally to the local Hooverville where he just misses hopping a freight to Chicago. Undaunted, he decides to walk to Grand Rapids, where he hopes his father, the bandleader Herman E. Calloway, will be. Lefty Lewis, the kindly union man who gives Bud a lift, is not the first benevolent presence to help the boy on his way, nor will he be the last. There's a bit of the Little Rascals in Bud, and a bit more of Shirley Temple as his kind heart and ingenuous ways bring tears to the eyes of the crustiest of old men — not his father, but close enough. But Bud's fresh voice keeps the sentimentality to a reasonable simmer, and the story zips along in step with Bud's own panache."

 

Use in Library

This would be a great book to use in a jazz music lesson for older elementary and middle school children. Librarians could take the performing arts route by bringing in various instruments used by jazz music, and even some live jazz musicians, to demonstrate the sounds various instruments make. They could also take the lesson in a more historical direction by discussing the jazz movement of the Depression era and its significance within the larger economic and social context of the 1930s. This second option would be more appropriate for middle school children.

Librarians could also use Bud, Not Buddy as a tipping off point for a general historical discussion about the Great Depression in America. What caused the Depression and what repercussions did it cause for all Americans? Did minorities and women face specific issues pertaining to their background? How did we get out of the Depression?


Brown, J. M. (1999). Forecasts: Children's books. [Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy]. Publishers Weekly, 246(32), 352. 

Sutton, R. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. [Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy]. Horn Book Magazine, 75(6), 737-738.

Image from http://mkennedyreads.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/bud-not-buddy-by-christopher-paul-curtis/

Module Four: Sounder by William H. Armstrong

Bibliography

Armstrong, W. H. (1972). Sounder. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Summary

A young boy and his family in the Depression-era South face the struggles of African-American sharecroppers of the time, dealing with the ongoing food scarcity coupled with White oppression. After his father returns empty-handed from a series of hunting trip with their coon hound, Sounder, the boy finally wakes up one morning to the smell of sausage and ham cooking. Soon after, however, the sheriff comes to drag his father away for theft, shooting Sounder in the process. The family spends the next years without a father or husband, and months without its dog. When Sounder finally comes straggling in, emaciated and missing one eye, life has already changed for the boy and his family. In his father's absence, he has taken over his father's field duties to support his mother and siblings. The boy continually searches for his father, walking from town to town. On one of these ventures, he meets a teacher who offers him an chance to attend school. When the boy excitedly delivers this news to his mother, she realizes it is an opportunity he cannot afford to pass up if he wants a life outside of sharecropping. Meanwhile, his father finally returns home, old and crippled. Life has changed irreversibly, however, and neither the boy, nor his family, can go back to the past.

 

My Impressions

I was struck most by the spare, poetic language Armstrong uses in Sounder. The novel itself is quite similar to a poem: its rich, densely-packed prose conveys much with few words. Amazingly, he makes the characters come alive without ever giving them names (which was not the case for the film version of Sounder). Details are kept to a minimum, but the reader is invested in the boy and his family because of their strength, perseverance, and obvious love for one another. Sounder's enduring love for his master is evident at several moments throughout the story, but never more so than when the father finally returns from work camp, a mere shadow of his former self, and Sounder finds his voice once again. 

Reviews

 Amazon
"Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is unmatched. When the African American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately finds salvation as well.

William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice."

 

Use in Library

This could be used in a literacy program to show elementary school children the true significance of reading and how important it is to those who don't know how. We often take for granted the ability to read, but the protagonist in Sounder wants more than anything to learn how to read. To him, reading is the antidote to loneliness; to his parents, it means freedom from the sharecropper's life. Librarians could describe examples of how illiteracy severely limits a person's options in life. A guest speaker(s) who is illiterate or was so late in life could be brought in to make this issue resonate more personally. To further drive this point home, librarians could construct an environment in a foreign language unknown to all participants. Perhaps a large room with signs in foreign languages, etc. could be arranged, and the children would be given assignments to carry out in this environment, which would prove very difficult without being able to read or write.

Coulter, E. (n.d.). Amazon.com review. [Review of the book Sounder]. Amazon. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Sounder-William-H-Armstrong/dp/product-description/1581180543/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounder

Module Four: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Bibliography

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Summary

Leigh Botts begins writing to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw -- first, as a fan letter, but later because he enjoys the process of writing. Through his letters, which later become diary entries upon Mr. Henshaw's suggestion, the reader sees Leigh's true thoughts unfold as he begins to find his voice. Abandoned by his truck driver father, Leigh's mother struggles to support them on her own. Leigh feels isolated and lonely at his new school, and one of the few highlights of his day are the delicious treats his mother includes in his lunch bag, which someone has been stealing. As he continues his letters to Mr. Henshaw, though, Leigh is able to work out his feelings and frustrations with his father, his new school, and his life. Eventually, he develops not only a skill for writing, but also the maturity to understand and forgive.

 

My Impressions

At first, I was a bit thrown off by the letter-writing format, but I was soon drawn into Leigh Botts' world, melancholy though it was in the beginning. The more Leigh opens up through his letters, however, the more I understood his sadness and frustration, which stems primarily from his parents' divorce and his father's absence. Divorce is hard enough for kids, but the fact that his father doesn't call when he's promised to and is late with child support payments leaves Leigh feeling forgotten and abandoned. During one phone conversation with his father, Leigh overhears another child in the background, and it's the last straw for him. He hangs up the phone, feeling even more dejected because his father appears to have moved on. Here, instead of withdrawing farther into despair, Leigh becomes stronger through his writing and the people around him. A particularly apt assessment from the school custodian helps to set Leigh on the right path at school. He suggests to Leigh that the boy is friendless because he seems angry and frowns so much. This had never occurred to Leigh before, and he begins to consider how his behavior might be affecting those around him. This is a poignant, funny story chronicling one boy's acceptance of those things he can't change, and his willingness to alter the things he can.

Review 

Journal of Education

"Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary's 27th novel, has become a classic for middle graders that brings to life the power of engaging with an authentic and meaningful task. In her rich repertoire of books for young readers, Dear Mr. Henshaw remains one of the most endearing and enduring stories. Natalie Babbitt, another award-winning author of books for young readers, wrote in The New York Times Book Review (1983),

'Beverly Cleary has written many very good books over the years. This one is the best. It is a first-rate, poignant story in the forms of letters and a diary -- a new construction for a Cleary book -- and there is so much in it, all presented so simply, that it's hard to find a way to do it justice' (p. 34).

This review helps us to understand why after nearly three decades readers are still drawn to this novel about a young boy finding his voice through writing.

This story is told completely through the letters of Leigh Botts, beginning in second grade when he writes a simple fan letter to his favorite author "Mr. Henshaw." His short note, a simple text riddled with the misspellings common to young writers states, "Dear Mr. Henshaw, My teacher read your book about the dog to the class. It was funny. We licked it" (p. l).The reader follows Leigh as he progresses through the grades, writing to Mr. Henshaw as his school assignments dictate. Through his connection to one of Mr. Henshaw's books, we begin to learn about Leigh as a person. He explains that his name is indeed a boy's name, and he sends a picture to prove it. He has a dog, named Bandit, who howls like the dog in the book. At Mr. Henshaw's urging (which is only implied in the book), Leigh reads another of his favorite author's books.

The tale unfolds further when, as part of an author's study, Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw to ask several questions. Mr. Henshaw answers the questions, but insists that, in return, Leigh answer the questions he poses to him. At first Leigh rebels against answering; he sees the task as extra work that he shouldn't have to do. He knows that responding will take time, but slowly he relents. As he addresses Mr. Henshaw's questions, the length of his letters increases, and the reader gains a sense that Leigh is losing himself in the process of writing. In his real life situation, Leigh faces many challenges; his parents are divorced, and his dad is driving a truck across the country, Leigh's dog in tow. In his father's absence his mother works hard to make ends meet. Although she manages to include treats in his lunch, the tastiest morsels are often stolen. Given these burdens, Leigh is lonely and has a hard time making friends. However, as he begins to experience the release found in writing, he heeds Mr. Henshaw's advice to keep the letter format but to write in the pages of a journal.

Throughout the book, Leigh comments on the writing advice that the invisible Mr. Henshaw provides. He begins to note how people talk and writes dialogue in his journal. After producing a story that fails to be fully realized, Leigh decides to listen to Mr. Henshaw and to write about what he knows in the form of a description of his father on the road, driving his truck. It becomes evident that Leigh, a former reluctant writer, is using his writing for a variety of purposes -- to work through his anger at his father, to connect with a caring mentor, and to develop his own writing skills. By the end of the novel Leigh has come into his own as an engaged writer.

The letter format that Cleary chose allows the reader to understand the events of Leigh's life, and the few scratchy pen illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky show Leigh at various stages in the composing process as he scowls, thinks, and writes across the pages. Cleary's novel demonstrates how a boy highly resistant to writing might ultimately discover the joy of putting pencil to page when encouraged to write in a way that is meaningful, personal, and authentic. Beverly Cleary's classic stands the test of time."

Use in Library

Dear Mr. Henshaw would be an excellent vehicle through which to discuss the repercussions and emotions involved with divorce through a summer reading program for late elementary school and middle school children. Librarians could open the discussion with comments about Leigh's situation and how he responded, and then invite children to share their own experiences. Some children may hesitate to share such personal information, so librarians should be aware that they might need to redirect conversation back to the book itself.

This book could be used as an inspiration for a creative writing program for the age group discussed above. First, librarians could have students read the novel and discuss the effect writing letters and journal entries had on Leigh's life. Then students could be encouraged to start their own letter writing/journaling experience and continue to discuss the process and their writing throughout the program.


Dear Mr. Henshaw. (2011). [Review of the book Dear Mr. Henshaw]. Journal of Education, 191(2), 76-77.

Image from http://teacherwillrunforbooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/dear-mr-henshaw.html

 

Module Three: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Bibliography

Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary

Sylvester is a donkey with a penchant for unusual pebbles, so when he ventures out one rainy Saturday, he is excited to find a flaming red, shiny, and perfectly round pebble on the ground. Picking it up, he begins to shiver from the rain and says to himself, "I wish it would stop raining." Astonishingly, the rain instantly stops, and Sylvester realizes he has found a magic pebble to grant him, and his family and friends anything they desire. Soon, however, the donkey comes across a ferocious lion. Frightened, Sylvester instantly wishes he were a rock, and, alas, he becomes one. Although this manages to deter the hungry lion, Sylvester is unable to change himself back again with the magic pebble just out of his reach. Days, weeks, and months pass by, and Sylvester's parents search everywhere for their beloved son. Eventually, Sylvester and his parents discover that they already have everything they need: each other.

 

My Impressions

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was one of my favorite books as a child, and it remains so today. I love it in equal part for its text and illustrations because, together, they convey the full range of emotions of Sylvester and his parents. The author's use of language -- "frantic with worry" (p. 10), "walked aimlessly about" (p. 26) and "the embraces, the kisses, the questions, the answers, the loving looks, and the fond exclamations!"(p. 29) -- accurately portrays the highs and lows of the story. Steig manages to inject some humor into the story as well. When the lion, bewildered at the donkey's sudden disappearance, sniffs the rock over and over, he mutters to himself, "Maybe I'm going crazy" (p. 7). In addition, the illustrations convincingly portray Sylvester's parents' anguish over their missing son as they sit staring out the window, plaintively searching, while a tear falls from his mother's eye (p. 10). The story itself has such a simple, yet moving, message: Sometimes, we have what we've been looking for all along. Just as Sylvester discovers this, so will the reader through Steig's work.

 

Review

 Amazon
"Imagine all the happiness and wealth you could achieve if you found a magic pebble that granted your every wish! Sylvester Duncan, an unassuming donkey who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color," experiences just such a lucky find. But before he can make all his wishes come true, the young donkey unexpectedly encounters a mean-looking lion. Startled, Sylvester wishes he were a rock, but in mineral form he can no longer hold the pebble, and thus cannot wish himself back to his equine trappings. His parents, thinking he has disappeared, are at first frantic, then miserable, and then plunge into donkey ennui. Meanwhile, Sylvester is gravely depressed, but tries to get used to being a rock.

In 1970, William Steig won the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble--the first of his many Newbery and Caldecott honors. In this donkey's tale, Steig imbues his characteristically simple illustrations of animals sporting human garb with evocative, irresistible, and heartbreakingly vivid emotions. The text is straightforward and the dialogue remarkably touching. Children will feel deeply for Sylvester and his parents, all wishing for the impossible--that the family will one day be reunited. Sylvester's sweet story is one that endures, reminding us all that sometimes what we have is all we really need."

 

Use in Library

This could be used, in conjunction with other books with a similar theme, in a storytime program for preschool children about what defines a family. Librarians could ask children about their own families -- where they were born, who comprises their family, what kinds of family traditions they have, etc. Librarians could also discuss the difference between animal and human families. Included would be a craft in which children are asked to draw their own families.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. (n.d.). [Review of the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble]. Amazon. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Sylvester-Magic-Pebble-William-Steig/dp/product-description/067166154X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/457762.Sylvester_and_the_Magic_Pebble

Module Three: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

Bibliography

Bunting, E. (1994). Smoky Night. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books.

Summary

Standing in the dark, David and his mother watch fearfully out their apartment window as the people rioting on the streets below smash windows, cars, and streetlights, stealing television sets and shoes – or anything else they can find. David’s mother explains that people riot when they get angry and no longer care about what’s right and wrong. David sees Mrs. Kim, who owns Kim’s Market, yelling at the rioters who are stealing her things, and explains that he and his mother don’t shop at Mrs. Kim’s market because his mother says it’s better to buy from your own people. David and his mother, who are African-American, are later woken up when their apartment building catches fire. Scrambling around in the night for his shoes, he can’t find his beloved cat Jasmine. As the tenants hurriedly escape the building, it becomes evident that they have more in common than previously thought. Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez carry their squawking parrot, Loco, along with their children to safety, while Mrs. Kim nervously questions the whereabouts of her own cat. In the end, David helps the adults understand that sometimes people (and cats) don’t like each other because they don’t know one another well enough. This realization brings hope that, by getting to know each other, the neighborhood can prevent the possibility of future riots.

My Impressions

I loved the message behind Smoky Night. Bunting does an excellent job of making a larger political issue, the riots, seem more personal by narrowing in on one night with David, his mother, and their cat Jasmine. Through their eyes, we see a neighborhood immersed in chaos and fear and the repercussions of this. David's mother's explanation for rioting, because people are angry, is a bit simplistic but completely appropriate for the age level of this book. Children will find it much easier to comprehend such a complex issue in these simpler, more intimate terms. Using Mrs. Kim's cat and Jasmine as an example of how two very different beings can learn to get along is clever and should resonate well with children. The illustrations are vivid and gritty, with deep blues and purples set against photographs of varying textures, and capture both the harsh and loving aspects of this story.

Reviews

School Library Journal
"During a big city riot, an African-American boy and his mother watch fearfully from their window as looters attack Mrs. Kim's grocery. Mama has never shopped there because the Kims are not "our kind." Nevertheless, missing cats pull the two families together, sowing the seeds of acceptance and friendship. Complex collage backgrounds magnify the drama of the story."

Book Links
"When riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others, regardless of their background or nationality. Diaz helps children connect with the difficult feelings that accompany the riot by using recognizable objects in his collage art. Teachers can use this book, which was inspired by rioting in Los Angeles, to explore anger management, community, and conflict resolution."

 

Library Use

This would be a great book to use during Black History Month or to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It could be used in a display or as a springboard for a discussion about the Civil Rights Movement and/or the Los Angeles Riots. Librarians could discuss in more depth why the rioters were angry and how these issues could have been dealt with better. This discussion would be more appropriate for older elementary school students.

Bock, L. (2003). Smoky night. [Review of the book Smoky Night]. School Library Journal, 49(2), 95.Underwood, M. (2004).

Smoky night. [Review of the book Smoky Night]. Book Links, 13(4), 53.

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/616833.Smoky_Night