As we read Bud, Not Buddy, families can help students explore what life was like during the Great Depression and talk about how Bud’s journey changes him. The activities below can be done in 5–15 minutes, even when students’ copies of the novel are at school.

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Recommended Reading and Resources

• Start here for a short nonfiction read. Learn how job loss and housing insecurity affected families in cities during the Great Depression. Ask your student to name one hardship from the article that connects to Bud’s story. Daily Life in the City During the Great Depression

• Explore history through photographs. Choose one photograph from the Library of Congress collection and read its caption together. Look for clues about why families moved and what they took with them. Library of Congress | Dust Bowl Migration

• Try a related novel. 

  1. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis — Start here for the closest connection to our class novel. The same author follows Deza Malone and her family as they face hardship during the Great Depression.

  2. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan — Esperanza moves from Mexico to California, where she and her mother join a community of farmworkers. Compare how Esperanza and Bud respond when they have to start over.

  3. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse — Told in short poems, this novel follows Billie Jo as she faces loss and struggles to imagine a future on the Oklahoma prairie during the Dust Bowl.

  4. Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper — In a segregated North Carolina town in 1932, Stella sees how her family and neighbors support one another in the face of racism. Compare how community helps Stella and Bud face difficult situations.

• Find books and audiobooks to borrow. Use a Free Library of Philadelphia card to borrow digital titles. YouTube also has a TON of audiobook narrations (including Bud, Not Buddy). Students can look for our class novel, a related book, or another story about a character facing a challenge. Free Library of Philadelphia | Kids’ Digital Collection · Get a Library Card

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Quick Activities to Try at Home

• Look closely at a photograph historical photograph. Ask, “What are two details you notice? What might those details tell us about a hardship this family faced?” Then read the caption and see whether it changes your interpretation.

• Talk about how Bud changes. Have your student retell one moment from class. Ask, “What choice did Bud make? How might he have responded earlier in the novel? What makes you think so?”

• Practice explaining evidence. Read a short section of an article together. Ask your student to choose one detail and finish this sentence aloud or in writing. “This detail helps me understand ___ because ___.”

• Write a short historical scene. Use a photograph as inspiration for a four- or five-sentence scene. Include one detail you can see in the photo, one challenge an imagined character faces, and one choice the character makes in response.

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Educational Links for Families

• Ducksters | Daily Life in the City During the Great Depression — A short, student-friendly article about work, housing, and daily life.

• Library of Congress | Dust Bowl Migration — Historical photographs and captions for the photo detective activity.

• Library of Congress | The Dust Bowl — Background reading about why families left their homes during the Dust Bowl.

• Free Library of Philadelphia | Kids’ Digital Collection — Browse e-books and audiobooks to borrow with a library card.

• City of Philadelphia | Get a Library Card — Find out how to get a Free Library card.