Enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was funny and the characters were interesting. Learned a bit about the depression, Pullman porters, labor unions, Hoovervilles, the negro league, jazz and more ( )

One of my favorite YA novels! ( )

Adventure

This is a charming story about a young man with a drive to overcome his obstacles. He interacts with many adults and orphan peers and each interaction proves him to be thoughtful, kind, and funny. I liked this book much better than I expected, all because it's protagonist was entirely charming and I was rooting for him the whole way. ( )

For a book about a ten-year-old orphan struggling on his own during the Great Depression Bud, Not Buddy is surprisingly upbeat. Bud gets beat up, locked in a shed and attacked by hornets! He is homeless, friendless, and constantly hungry, but all the while he stays positive about whatever small comforts come his way. There are a lot of exclamation points in this book and I'd guess the word "doggone" appears several dozen times, giving his narration a kind of "aw shucks" tone. Stuck in a shantytown eating rat stew from old sardine cans? Aw shucks, it's the best doggone food Bud ever tasted!

You've got to admire how buoyant Bud is throughout his wanderings, but I was also kind of put off by the light touch. I can't say for sure, of course, but if I had read this as a kid I might have thought I could actually survive on my own without parents because this book makes it seem like nearly every grown up you meet is just so doggone kind. There's a scene where Bud is lured into an unknown man's car in the middle of the night and the man... takes him home and feeds him (aw shucks!) the best pancakes Bud's ever tasted.

I understand why this book is short on the brutality and cynicism of poverty and long on the the benefits of good manners and a little bit of luck, but as an adult reader that felt a little off. And I agree that the cover has history lesson (i.e. boring) written all over it, which is a shame because it's definitely not a boring book.
( )