One of the big ideas in the book “Bud, not Buddy” is that family are people who care about you. Family can be your parents, grandparents or other people who care about you. I will explain who Bud is, and three examples how his new family cared about him.

Bud is a ten year old boy who is trying to find his family. His mom died when he was six years old, and he was very unhappy in his foster home in the Ameses. The only memories he had of his childhood were in his suitcase. There was a flier with a picture of a man. Nobody told Bud who he was, but he thought he was his dad. That flier always made Bud’s mom mad. Also, there were some rocks that his mom collected, and a blanket. After a long walk, he finally found his grandfather, Mr. Calloghway. This was a man from the flier. He was a musician, playing the violin. His band was called “The Dusky Devastators of the Depression.” Bud’s grandfather was bossy to Bud. But all the other people from the band were nice to him, and they cared about him. Bud started feeling safe and happy with them. He felt like he finally has a family. Here are the three examples how his new family cared about him.

First, “The Dusky Devastators of the Depression” band gave Bud a home in their aparment. They gave him food, shelter and clothes.

Second, they took Bud to a restaurant with them. They asked him questions about his mom. When Bud started to cry, Mrs. Thomas, the singer of the band, soothed him. He felt like he is at home with his new friends, who wanted to make sure he was okay.

The last example showing how Bud’s new family cared about him was when Eddie, one of the band players, gave him a new saxophone. He wanted him to pratice and become part of the band. This made Bud feel like he belonged with the band.    

The three examples from the book help me understand how important family is. Family takes care of you when you need them. They help to make sure that you have food, shelter and that you feel safe and happy.