This week I finished two books and trucked along on two other ones. The two I’m still reading? Who Am I Without Him?, the series of short stories I started last week. I read a story a night before I go to bed… most of the time. I also began The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the novel my book club has decided to read. I closed the cover on Bud, Not Buddy and Loser.
Bud, Not Buddy is about a ten-year-old orphan, who prefers to go by Bud (hence, the title). He lives in a Home and goes into a foster home where their son abuses him and Bud ends 
up forced to spend the night in a creepy, boobytrapped shed. He finally escapes with his suitcase of memories, his most prized possession. After spending a few days hopping between the library and soup kitchen, Bud runs into one of his friends from the Home, nicknamed Bugs. They find their way to a Hooverville, one of the many camps for people impacted by the Great Depression, named after President Hoover. Here Bugs and Bud earn their keep and Bud get his first kiss. They try to escape on the railroads, but Bud can’t make the jump. Within his suitcase of memories is a flyer for a jazz group and Bud suspects the “man with the large sideways fiddle” is his father. With determination, a few hiccups along the way, Bud finally finds the band on the blue flyer. With it comes a place to call home, a purpose in life and a family member, but not the one you would expect.
Jerry Spinelli’s Loser, the other book I finished this week, was a heart touching story about that kid who laughs too loud, loves too hard, has endless curiosity and wants to be friends with everyone. Donald Zinkoff is a loser in every sense of the word. On the very first day of school he wears a three-foot-tall giraffe hat he got from a trip to the zoo and on Saturdays, he goes to school because he just really loves school. Zinkoff wants to be a mailman, just like his dad and makes friends with all his unlikely neighbors. The kids at school find him to be a clueless comic relief, but the readers see him as a teacher’s savior. While he can’t focus and blurts out answers, he loves school and wants to learn more than anything. He has a heart of gold and a story that’ll make you laugh and cry only pages apart. I highly recommend Loser to anyone looking for a book about the underdog who loves the world.
I absolutely love reading your book reviews! I feel like you hit all the important parts without giving too much away. I am adding Loser to my TBR list now. I almost want to cry just reading the review. I love books like this, that make you regain faith in humanity.
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As a future teacher, it reminds you everyone needs an equal opportunity at being themselves.
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Oh Mary Anne, you have the best book reviews that I’ve ever seen. I definitely think you should do it for a profession. I wonder how much money you’d make? Anyway, I have to say that these books sound absolutely wonderful. I was interested in the fact that “Bud, not Buddy” was set in The Great Depression. Not that it’s bad by any means, but it goes to show that good books can come from any era, it’s just the relationship with the character that counts. I’m also really interested in “Loser”, no offense (you’re not a loser) but this kid kinda sounds like you! 🙂 It sounds like a book I’m going to have to look into. Thanks for your ever so wonderful words of wisdom.
Ali
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Ali, you made me laugh out loud twice as I read your comment! First, I am glad you like book reviews. Second, after reading “Loser”, I think being told that I remind you of the main character is quite a compliment. Thanks girly!
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Bud, Not Buddy sounds like a really great book. I am definitely going to add that to my TBR list! Thank you for the great summary/review!
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It’s one I remember reading in elementary school, but for the life of me I could not remember how it ended, so I reread it to find out!
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I read and watched the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when I was a teenager and loved it. It is a very relatable book for many teenage girls. Hope you enjoy it as well.
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Bud not Buddy is an incredible book from my middle school years, I hope you like it as much as I did.
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I have a feeling I did!
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Ill have to check out “Loser.” I like the plot you delivered. I think I remember reading Bud, Not Buddy a long time ago.
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It seems like “Bud, Not Buddy” was a reading staple for everyone! And yes, “Loser” was a great insight to the kid everyone takes for granted.
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