Bud, Not Buddy

The eponymous hero tells of his adventures as he searched for his father in 1930s’ America. This is related in an engaging mix of boyish over-imagination, the unsentimentalised, real-life struggle for the poor during The Depression, and the companionship and precarious lifestyle of the black American jazz fraternity.

There is a strong feel of family folklore to this yarn, explained in part by the Newbery Medal author’s afterword, which interestingly explains how some of the main characters are based on his own antecedents. This is a fast paced, tightly plotted story, which deserves promotion, especially with boys.