Flashcards for Bud, Not Buddy

Angela Janet Caldwell

Angela Janet Caldwell is Bud's mother, who has passed away.

character

Bud Caldwell

Bud Caldwell, a ten-year-old boy, is the protagonist and narrator of Bud, Not Buddy, which takes place during the Great Depression.

character

Bugs

Bugs is Bud Caldwell's closest friend and fellow orphan in Bud, Not Buddy, making a brief yet emotionally impactful appearance in the novel's early chapters.

character

Deza Malone

Deza Malone is a minor but emotionally important character in Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.

character

Dirty Deed

Dirty Deed is one of the jazz musicians in Herman E. Calloway's band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression (later renamed the Nubian Knights), in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

character

Herman E. Calloway

Herman E. Calloway is the gruff, seemingly cold-hearted bandleader of the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Jimmy

Jimmy is a minor yet memorable character in Bud, Not Buddy.

character

Lefty Lewis

Lefty Lewis is a kind-hearted, quick-witted labor union organizer and part-time Good Samaritan who plays a crucial role in Bud Caldwell's journey north to Grand Rapids.

character

Miss Hill

Miss Hill works as a librarian at the Flint Public Library in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

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Miss Thomas

Miss Thomas is the warm and commanding lead vocalist of Herman E. Calloway's band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

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Mr. Amos

Mr. Amos is a minor but significant antagonist in Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, acting as Bud Caldwell's first foster father during the Great Depression.

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Mrs. Amos

Mrs. Amos is a foster mother in Flint, Michigan, who triggers Bud Caldwell's escape to freedom at the start of the novel.

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Steady Eddie

Steady Eddie plays the alto saxophone in Herman E. Calloway's jazz band, the Nubian Knights, featured in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

character

Thug

Thug is one of the members of Herman E. Calloway's jazz band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression (later known as the Nubian Knights), in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

character

Todd Amos

Todd Amos is the foster son of Mr. and Mrs. Amos and acts as the story's first antagonist, appearing mainly in the novel's early chapters.

character

“My name is Bud, not Buddy.”

This bold statement is made by the ten-year-old protagonist, Bud Caldwell, in Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Medal–winning novel Bud, Not Buddy (1999).

Bud Caldwell

“I knew that somewhere out there was my father, and I was going to find him.”

This line is spoken by ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, the protagonist of Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999).

Bud Caldwell (narrator) · Early chapters (Ch. 1–3)

“When a grown-up is real real quiet, or when a grown-up starts talking real real slow, you'd better be ready, because something real bad is just around the corner.”

This quote comes from Bud Caldwell, the ten-year-old protagonist and narrator of Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999).

Bud Caldwell (narrator) · Early chapters (Rules and Things interludes)

“There's something about a library that makes you feel safe.”

In Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, Bud Caldwell, a ten-year-old orphan, shares this reflection while seeking refuge in the Flint Public Library.

Bud Caldwell · Early chapters (Ch. 4–6)

“One of Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.”

This recurring phrase shows up throughout Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999) as the title of the personal rulebook created by ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, based on his own tough experiences.

Bud Caldwell (narrator)

“Momma always said that no matter how bad things look on the outside, a smile could make everything better.”

This quote is from Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999), a Newbery Medal-winning historical novel set during the Great Depression.

Bud Caldwell (narrator)

“Shucks, I thought, being in a real family might not be as easy as I'd imagined.”

This line is spoken by Bud Caldwell, the ten-year-old main character of Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999), close to the climax of the novel after he finally finds Herman E. Calloway, the jazz musician he believes is his father.

Bud Caldwell (internal narration)

“Everybody kept saying I looked just like my mother, but I never could see it.”

This opening line is delivered by Bud Caldwell, the ten-year-old narrator and main character of Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999).

Bud Caldwell (narrator) · Chapter 1

“The older you get, the worse things get. Wait till you're my age.”

This line is spoken by Lefty Lewis, the kind older man who gives Bud a ride and supports him on his journey to Grand Rapids in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

Lefty Lewis

“When you're a foster kid, you've got to be real careful about what you say and what you do.”

This line is delivered by Bud Caldwell, a ten-year-old boy who narrates Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (1999), a historical novel set during the Great Depression.

Bud Caldwell (narrator) · Chapter 1

Bud's Suitcase

In Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, Bud's worn cardboard suitcase symbolizes his identity, survival, and the delicate sense of self amidst poverty and displacement.

Flyers and Posters

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, the flyers and posters Bud carries in his suitcase represent hope, identity, and his quest for belonging.

Jazz Music

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, jazz music represents belonging, identity, and the community's healing power.

Rocks with Names and Dates

In Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, the rocks with names and dates that Bud carries in his suitcase represent memory, identity, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child.

The Promised Land (Grand Rapids)

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Grand Rapids symbolizes a promised land filled with hope, belonging, and the chance for a permanent home.

Simile

In Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, simile is one of ten-year-old Bud's main tools for navigating a confusing world, and its homespun, often humorous nature shapes his voice.

Irony

In Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, irony plays a crucial role at both situational and verbal levels, enriching the reader's insight into Bud's challenging world while maintaining a warmly comic tone throughout the novel.

Tone

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, tone is what keeps a story about Depression-era orphan poverty from feeling overwhelming.

Foreshadowing

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, foreshadowing is woven through Bud's "Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself" — a list that prepares the reader for impending troubles before Bud even grasps them.

Flashback

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, flashbacks serve as Bud's main way to connect with his deceased mother and shape his identity in the absence of family.

Imagery

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, vivid imagery immerses readers in the sensory landscape of Depression-era Michigan, making Bud's vulnerability and resilience feel immediate rather than just reported.

Motif

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, the motif of rules and lists runs throughout the novel, influencing both character development and humor.

flyer

A small printed handbill or advertisement, often posted in public places to announce an event or person; here used for promotional posters advertising a jazz band.

noun

tote

To carry something, especially by hand or on one's person, often over a distance.

verb

shed

A small, simple outbuilding used for storage; here the place where Bud hides his suitcase and belongings.

noun

foster home

A private household where a child who is not a family member is placed temporarily by a welfare agency and cared for, usually while awaiting permanent placement.

phrase

home

An orphanage or group residence for children without parents, run by a welfare or charitable organization.

noun

welfare

The government or charitable system that provides support, including food, housing, and placement, for children and families in need during the Great Depression era.

noun

vittles

Food; an informal, old-fashioned or dialect word for provisions or a meal.

noun · Chapter 3

shuck

To remove the outer husk or shell from something, such as corn; used here in a figurative or literal rural context.

verb · Chapter 3

Hooverville

A makeshift shantytown built by homeless and unemployed people during the Great Depression, sarcastically named after President Herbert Hoover, who was blamed for the economic crisis.

noun · Chapter 5

mission

A charitable organization, often church-run, that provides free food, shelter, or other aid to poor or homeless people.

noun · Chapter 5

soup line

A queue of people waiting to receive free food, typically soup or bread, distributed by a charity or government relief organization during hard times.

phrase · Chapter 5

colored

A period term, now considered offensive, used in the 1930s United States to refer to Black or African American people.

adjective · Chapter 5

union

A labor organization in which workers join together to negotiate for better wages, hours, and working conditions from their employers.

noun · Chapter 6

scab

A worker who continues to work or takes the job of a striking worker, considered a traitor by union members.

noun · Chapter 6

jiminy

A mild exclamation of surprise or emphasis, used as a polite substitute for a stronger oath; common in informal American speech of the 1930s.

Chapter 7

jalopy

An old, rundown, or poorly maintained automobile, typically one that barely runs.

noun · Chapter 8

gig

A paid musical performance or engagement, especially for a jazz or blues band.

noun · Chapter 9

reed

A thin strip of material in a woodwind instrument, such as a saxophone or clarinet, that vibrates to produce sound when the player blows air across it.

noun · Chapter 11

alto

Short for alto saxophone, a mid-range woodwind instrument commonly used in jazz music.

noun · Chapter 11

bread

Slang for money, used in jazz and African American vernacular of the 1930s.

noun · Chapter 12

log

To record or write down information in an official or systematic way, as in a record book.

verb · Chapter 13

consumptive

Suffering from consumption, the old name for tuberculosis, a serious and often fatal lung disease; here describing someone who is visibly ill and wasting away.

adjective · Chapter 14

sets

Continuous periods of musical performance by a band before taking a break; a standard unit of a jazz band's show.

noun · Chapter 15

legitimate

Conforming to the rules; in a music context, referring to formally trained, classically correct playing as opposed to improvised or self-taught style.

adjective · Chapter 16

blood

A term of address or kinship used among African American men in this era, meaning a fellow Black man or a close companion.

noun · Chapter 17