Bud, Not Buddy By Christopher Paul Curtis published 1999

Summary
Ten year old Bud, not Buddy, Caldwell is tired of living in foster homes and Hoovervilles during the Great Depression. So like any adventurous young boy, he decides to run away from home. Guided only by a faded  flier for one of Herman Calloway's shows, Bud sets off to find the man that he believes to be his father. Curtis is able to accurately capture the language and feel of the era while putting an aura of hope around the grim and harsh conditions of the time. This novel is historically accurate and actively engaging for young readers. The novel has won the John Newberry Medal, the Dorothy Canfield Fischer Children's Book Award, and the Correta Scott King Award for Authors. Curtis is also the author of the novel The Watsons Go To Birmingham. This Historical Fiction novel aligns with the Saint Leo Core Value of Respect because the novel deals with Bud's struggle to gain respect in the 1930s as an African American while searching for his father.

Activities
After reading the novel with my students I would have my students complete this fun activity.All of bud's important possessions are in his suitcase.  I would have students make their own suitcase using a cereal box or cracker box.After the students finished making their suitcases they would take them home and select 3-4 personal possessions to put in the box. The next day they would share what is in their box and why they chose it. Another activity that I would have my student do is create a timeline of events while we are reading the novel as a class. Students would have the option of creating either a horizontal or vertical timeline.