Characters
Who is Bud’s best friend at the orphanage?
Bugs
What are Bud’s rules called?
Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself
What insect attacks Bud in the shed?
Hornets
In what decade does Bud, Not Buddy take place?
The 1930s (Great Depression)
What instrument does Herman E. Calloway play?
The upright bass
What family fosters Bud before he runs away?
The Amos family
One of Bud’s rules is: “If you’ve got to tell a lie, make sure it’s simple and ___.” (fill in the blank)
Easy to remember
What does Bud always keep inside his suitcase?
Special treasures from his mother (flyers, rocks, etc.)
What city does Bud travel to in search of his father?
rand Rapids, Michigan
What kind of music does Herman’s band perform?
Jazz
Who is the kind man who drives Bud to Grand Rapids?
Lefty Lewis
Bud uses his rules to escape from what dangerous place?
The shed at the Amos’s house
Where does Bud go when he first runs away from the Amos’s house?
The library / eventually the mission
What building does Bud sleep in when he needs a safe place to hide?
The library
What nickname do the band members give Bud?
“Sleepy LaBone”
Who does Bud think is his father?
Herman E. Calloway
What do the rules reveal about Bud’s personality?
He’s smart, careful, and uses humor and creativity to survive
Who does Bud meet at the mission while looking for food?
He meets a kind family who helps him get in line for breakfast
What state is the Amos family’s home located in?
Michigan
What instrument does Bud eventually play with the band?
The recorder (and he wants to learn more)
What is Bud’s true family connection to Herman E. Calloway?
He is Bud’s grandfather
Write your own new “Rule and Thing” Bud might use if he had to survive middle school.
(Creative student answer — teacher decides if acceptable)
How does Bud finally prove to the band that he belongs with them?
By showing the rocks with writing on them, which match Herman’s collection
How do Hoovervilles (shantytowns) show the struggles of the Great Depression?
They show how many families lost homes and had to live in makeshift camps
Why is music so important to the story’s theme?
It connects Bud to his family, gives him belonging, and represents hope and identity