Historical Fiction Wrap-up

By Mr. Mikkelson

Typical Day for Bud CaldwellWhat would a typical day for Bud Caldwell look like? Well, for one, he doesn’t have to go to school everyday like

my students do. In fact, it seemed like going to school back then was more of privilege than a right. Imagine that, kids who couldn’t go to school actually wanting to go to school.

Maybe it’s good that he didn’t have to go to school because he needed to be spending all day figuring out how he was going to eat and where he was going to sleep. With worries like that, he needed all the time he could to figure those problems out. I know that my students never have to figure out how they will eat at lunch time, like Bud did. Bud didn’t have a lunch line serving him hot food. He had to figure it out for himself. If he didn’t have lunch money, nobody was going to give him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he hand to fend for himself.

Typical Day for Bud CaldwellEven if he managed to find a good meal somewhere, Bud

still had to find a place to sleep. He didn’t know if he’d be sleeping outside of a library, in a shed, or in a bed from one day to the next. I’m pretty sure none of my students have had to sleep in a shed filled with bees any time lately.

In Bud, Not Buddy there were some days where bud was able to find himself food and shelter, but I don’t think that was even the biggest problem for him. I know that we all have family that we haven’t seen for a long time and family that we wish we could have back, but imagine spending your whole day attempting to find any family at all? Bud’s mission in life was to wake up and find his family, with only some rocks and some flyers from years ago to guide his way.

I’m glad that I live in a time in America where children do not have to fend for themselves to survive every day, but that is exactly what Bud Caldwell had to do.

•1926 I think Bud is born about this time, because he's 10 years old and the book takes place in the middle of the Depression.

•1928 Herbert Hoover elected President

•October 1929 The Great Depression begins when the American stock market loses $30,000,000,00 worth of its value. This means less jobs and less oney for families.

•February 1931 Food riots begin when people who don't have enough money for food begin to steal food to survive.

•1932 Bud's mother dies when he is 6, so I think 1932 would be the year.

•June 16, 1932 Mysterious flyer that Bud carries shows this date.

•March 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, becomes president. He quickly promises to help banks stay in business.

•May 1934 Great Dust Storm blows topsoil away in the dry southwest area. This hurts food production even more.

•1936 When Bud, Not Buddy is taking place in Flint, MI.

•August 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. Jesse Owens famously wins 4 medals right in front of Hitler.

I have an overactive imagination like Bud had with the “vampires.”

We are both from the mid-west region of the U.S.

The loss of our fathers has had an effect on our lives.

I was raised by family only.

Bud was raised by non-family.

I never grew up hungry.

Bud has had to be cunning to get meals.

I grew up when the country was wealthy.

Bud grew up when the whole country was poor.

I have no musical background and am bad at music.

Bud seems to have a good musical background in his family.

Sources

• Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis

• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rails/timeline/index_2.html