Rules

In this book club you will discuss Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis in a small group of 4-6 readers. You will start a conversation by responding to discussion questions about the text. The book club opens with a brief introduction that one of you reads out loud. The book club then continues in four rounds:

  1. Round 1 consists of 5 quiz questions about the text. One of the group members acts as the quiz master who reads each question out loud, after which everyone (including the quiz master) writes down their answer. The correct answers will appear on the screen after you have turned over the final question card. You may then check your answers and calculate your scores.
  2. Round 2 consists of genuine questions that you have. Each group member consults the group about a part of the text that they thought was unclear. Together, you try to find answers to the questions that are raised. After everything has been cleared up, your group is ready to proceed to the next round.
  3. Round 3 consists of questions for discussion. There are two categories to choose from. The person with the most correct answers to the quiz questions gets to be the first to turn over a card and respond to the question. The other members of the group may then add to the discussion by responding and sharing their ideas. Take turns until all cards are flipped.
  4. Round 4 is when you get to review the text. How many stars would you give the text and why? Discuss this together until you have reached a shared verdict. Use the text box to explain your choice.

Introduction

“Families are the most important thing that there is. My daddy says that!”
“My mother said that, too,” I told her. “She told me …”
I stopped talking and acted like I was having trouble washing a dirty bowl.
“What did she tell you, Bud?”
I just wanted to tell everything to Deza.
“No little boy has ever been loved more than I love you,” I said to Deza. “That’s what my momma said.” (p. 31)

Bud is an orphan. After his mother dies, he ends up in a children’s home. Times are hard in 1930s America. There are no jobs, people are starving, and black people are not welcome in many places. Then a family offers to take Bud in. All he has with him is a suitcase with a few things. These things help him remember his mum: a blanket, a few rocks with letters on them, a photograph of his mum as a young girl, and some leaflets from a band. But the family is very mean to him, so he runs away. This is the start of his search for the father he never knew, for a place to belong, and to discover who he really is.

Round 1: Quiz



Quiz question

1. Bud tells Jerry it is better to go to a foster home with girls. Why is that, according to Bud?

2. What building in Flint does Bud go to after he escapes from the foster home?

3. Who helps Bud to get to Grand Rapids?

4. What is the name of the restaurant where the band and Bud eat, when Bud first arrives in Grand Rapids?

5. What is the first instrument that the band gives to Bud?

Answers

1. they will think you are special
2. library
3. Lefty Lewis
4. Sweet Pea
5. Recorder

Round 2: Initial questions

Hieronder staan verschillende fragmenten uit het boek. Kies allemaal één fragment. Bedenk en noteer een vraag die je aan één van de personages zou willen stellen. Probeer samen antwoord te geven op die vraag.

1. Bud is going through the stuff in his suitcase after he escapes the foster family. He remembers his mother and what she used to say to him ‘She had…to you.’ (pp. 20-21)
2. Bud wakes up too late and is not allowed into the queue for breakfast at the Mission. Then a stranger steps in: ‘“You know…at me.’ (pp. 22-23)
3. Bud is getting a lift back with Mr. C. When they get into the car, Bud discovers that in Mr. C’s glovebox are stones with writing on them, just like the stones in his suitcase. When he tries to tell Mr. C, Mr. C doesn’t listen: ‘I looked…you again.’ (pp. 62-63)
4. Bud now knows that Mr. C is his grandfather. Jimmy and Miss Thomas tell him about his mother: ‘Why didn’t…to them.’ (pp. 67-68)

Round 3: Discussion



Personal connections?

Card 1/6 - Personal connections?

1. Bud thinks six is a very difficult age. It is the age when his mum died, and he gives other reasons as well. Do you agree with him, or do you think another age is more difficult?

Card 2/6 - Personal connections?

2. Bud’s rules help him understand the world and the adults around him. Which rule do you agree with most? What rule would you add to Bud’s list?

Card 3/6 - Personal connections?

3. Bud tells ‘the best lies in the world’ in order to save himself. The lies do help him on his journey. Do you think it is sometimes okay to lie? Is saying nothing different from lying?

Card 4/6 - Personal connections?

4. Bud’s mother told him that when ‘one door closes another opens.’ It gives him the courage to go on. What do your parent(s) or other people say to help you when things are difficult? Do their words help?

Card 5/6 - Personal connections?

5. The band give Bud a new name. What does this new name mean to him? Have you ever had a nickname or another name? How did it make you feel?

Card 6/6 - Personal connections?

6. “Go ahead and cry, Bud,” she said, softly. “You’re home”. What does the word ‘home’ mean to you?

Personal connections?

That was the last card!



Food for thought?

Card 1/6 - Food for thought?

1. Bud lives by certain ‘rules and things’. This humour often makes readers smile. How do these ‘rules and things’ help us understand who Bud is?

Card 2/6 - Food for thought?

2. It is easy to forget that Bud is only ten years old. How does the author show Bud is a very young boy? Give examples from the text.

Card 3/6 - Food for thought?

3. People who have very little, often are the first to share. Which character in the book is the best example of that? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Card 4/6 - Food for thought?

4. In the book, there is a lot of mention of food. Why do you think the author does this?

Card 5/6 - Food for thought?

5. During his journey, Bud has to trust different people. Which characters does he trust, and why are these moments important in the story?

Card 6/6 - Food for thought?

6. At the end of the novel, Bud goes to live with his grandfather. Why is this an important ending for Bud’s story?

Food for thought?

That was the last card!

Round 4: Review

Review Bud, not Buddy by rating the novel on a scale of one to five stars, and then provide an explanation for your choice. Discuss what aspects you enjoyed and what aspects you didn’t, and provide reasons for your opinions. Reflect on whether the discussion influenced your individual perspective, and if so, how. Incorporate examples and arguments from your responses to the discussion questions to support your review.

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