Bud, Not Buddy
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 10+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
A warm, funny story about an orphan who finds a family through the kindness of strangers. Bud's hope never quits, and the grumpy grandfather who finally opens his heart is a fine picture of forgiveness. The reservations are real but small: Bud's rules make lying look clever, he takes revenge on a bully, and Jesus' name is misused.
For parents
Read aloud from 8, independent reading from 10. Talk about the cruelty in the placement home and the racism of the time before younger readers meet it. Ask whether Bud's rules about lying are true, and what the Eighth Commandment asks of us. Ask who in the story acts like the Good Samaritan.