• What conclusions can you draw about Bud’s past from reading chapter 1? What predictions can you make about what might happen later in the book?
• What do you think the writing on Bud’s rocks means? (pp. 78-79) What evidence supports your answer?
• What part do the rocks play at the end of the story? Were you surprised by the truth about the rocks? Why or why not?

• How does the author create Bud’s “voice” for the reader? Give several examples of how he uses words and sentence structures to give the novel its specific tone. In what ways would the book have been different if it had been told in the third person instead of in the first person?
• Why do you think the author included the scene in the breakfast line in chapter 6? What does the scene demonstrate about the main ideas of the book?
• Choose one of Bud’s “rules” and analyze the situation in which he shares it. Does the rule apply to the situation? Why or why not? Do you agree with the rule?
• Explain the title of the novel. Why do you think the author chose this title for the book? Why is Bud’s name so important to him?
• How is the setting important to the story? Could the same story have happened at any time in history? Support your answer with specific reasons.

• Why is Bud’s suitcase so important to him?
• Bud says in the first chapter that “you start to be a real adult” at about age six, and on p. 43 he comments that he is “almost grown.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not? In what ways is Bud like an adult, and in what ways is he still a child? Give specific examples to support your answer.
• What can you tell about Bud’s mother based on his memories in chapter 5? What words would you use to describe her? In what ways do you think she was similar to Herman Calloway, and in what ways was she different? Use specific evidence to support your answers.
• What does Bud’s description of the library tell you about him and about his interests and personality? (pp. 53-55)
• Compare and contrast the different ways the Dusky Devastators of the Depression react to Bud (chapters 13-14). Who are Bud’s “favorites” among the band members, and why?
• Describe the character of Herman E. Calloway. What can you tell about the character from how he acts? What can you tell from the way the other people in the band react to him?
• How would you describe Miss Thomas’s role in the story?

• Explain what Bud’s mother meant by the comment, “when one door closes, don’t worry, because another door opens” (p. 43). Give at least three examples from the book when one door closes and another opens for Bud.
• Why did the white family with the baby choose not to join the larger group at the Hooverville? (p. 77). What does the story demonstrate about the concept of prejudice?
• At several moments in the book, characters show their emotions through tears. Bud offers several comments related to crying, including how his “eyes don’t cry no more,” and his rule about crying that appears on p. 219. Find several examples of characters crying in the book, and describe the emotions that caused their tears. Are all of the examples sad moments? Explain your answer. How do these examples relate to Bud’s feelings and his rule about crying?
• How is the concept of loss important in the novel?

• Bud has several important possessions that he carries everywhere with him as reminders of his mother and, he hopes, his father. What are some things you have that remind you of your family members or someone special in your life? Do you carry these things with you, or keep them in a special place? Describe some of your special possessions and why they are important to you.
• In chapters 7 and 9, Bud describes trips to the library and some of the things he likes about the library. What is one of your favorite places to go? What do you love about that place? Describe it, using as many different senses as you can to give your reader a strong image of your favorite place.
• On pp. 90-91, Bud describes how “time flies” when he is in the library and absorbed in a book. Do you ever have the same feeling when reading a good book? Describe a time when that has happened to you. What other activities give you the feeling that time “flies” away while you are concentrating?
• In chapter 16, the band has a serious meeting to choose a nickname for Bud. Re-read how they choose Bud’s name, and look at the nicknames for the rest of the band members. Then think of a nickname you would like to have if you were to be in the band. Explain why your nickname is a good choice to describe you.
  

1. Complete a Literature Web about the book. Fill in your responses to each of the bubbles using the questions as a guide. Link to the Literature Web.

2. Write a book review on the novel. In your review, state and explain your point of view about the quality of the novel and provide specific details about why you would or would not recommend this book to other students your age. Use the Hamburger Model as a guide, and follow the steps of the writing process to review and revise. Link to the Hamburger Model.

3. Create a concept map to show how one of these ideas is explored in the novel: home, loss, fear, kindness, family, caring. Use specific characters and events from the novel to demonstrate how the concept is developed. Then write at least two generalizations you can make about the concept. A sample concept map is started for you below.

4. The characters in the novel use a lot of slang in their conversations, and Bud also uses a lot in his narrative. Make a list of 3-5 slang words or phrases from the book that were already familiar to you from before you read the novel, and a list of 3-5 slang words or phrases that you learned from reading the novel. Using a dictionary, Internet resources, and other resources about language and/or about the Depression, find out about the origins of the slang terms. Then survey some of your friends and family members to discover if the terms are familiar to other people you know. Make a chart to display your findings about the origins of the slang terms and their familiarity to people today.

5. Throughout the book, Bud shares his “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.” Skim through the book to review Bud’s “rules,” then complete one of the following options to present to the class:

• Create a list of 8-10 “rules” of your own that you think are important. For each rule, provide an example of a situation in which the rule might apply. Also provide a rationale for each rule.
• Write a short story about Bud that takes place either before or after the events of the novel. In your story, give Bud opportunities to share 2-3 additional “rules” that you invent, based on your understanding of the character.
• Choose one of Bud’s many rules. Write a persuasive essay in which you either defend or refute this rule. Use Bud’s and your own experiences as support for your arguments. Use the Hamburger Model as a guide, and follow the steps of the writing process to review and revise.

6. The Pullman Porter Museum Gallery in Chicago displays historical artifacts, photographs, and stories of the lives of men who worked as railroad porters. Find out more about the history of the Pullman Porters. Prepare a presentation for the class, including visuals, a timeline, and an essay explaining why the Pullman Porters were so important to the history of African Americans.

7. Interview someone who lived during the Great Depression. Work with your teacher or family to find someone you would like to interview. Prepare a list of interview questions to find out about what life was like during that time, how it was different from life today, and how the Depression influenced the rest of the person’s life. Use quotations from the person you interview, visuals, and other information you can find about the Depression to prepare a presentation for your class. Make sure to write a thank-you note to the person you interviewed!

8. Find out more about jazz bands in the 1920s and 1930s. Research the types of instruments played, the characteristics of the music, and some of the famous performers. Make sure you listen to some recordings of jazz music as well as reading about them! Then complete one of the following options:

• Write a persuasive essay to convince other students your age to listen to jazz music from this period.
• Create a mini-museum about jazz music for your classroom. Include a listening station with some recordings and a set of visuals and reading materials to help your classmates learn more about jazz music.
• Prepare a recital of jazz music selections from the 1920s and 1930s. You may choose to use instrumental music if you play an instrument or to sing if you prefer. Create a program for your recital, including background information about the selections you chose.

Return to the Top of the Page

http://www.aphiliprandolphmuseum.com/

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/music.htm

http://www.si.edu/ajazzh/

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart8b.html

http://mtungsten.freeservers.com/

http://www.bartleby.com

http://www.wm.edu/education/HOPE/homeless.php

http://www.fostercare.com/about.htm

http://www.powells.com/authors/curtis.html