Chapter 1:
- Do you think Bud and Jerry truly feel “cheerful, helpful and grateful” to be going to foster homes? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Why does Bud think six is a tough age? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Why does Bud think the man in the flyer is his father? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chapter 2:
- How do you think Bud feels about Todd lying?
- Why does Bud have to bite his tongue when he gets into the shed?
Chapter 3:
- How does Bud feel about being in the shed? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
- What does Bud attack with a rake in the shed and what happens after he attacks it?
- What do you think Bud will do when he sneaks into the Amos's house?
Chapter 4:
- Why does Bud want to get the gun out of the house before he takes his revenge?
- How does Bud get his revenge on Todd?
Chapters 5 & 6:
- How does Bud feel about “being on the lam”? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
- How did Bud’s mother feel about the name Bud? What was her intention for naming him Bud?
- What do you think Bud’s mother meant when she told him, “When one door closes, don’t worry, because another door opens”?
- Why did the family in line at the mission pretend that Bud was their son?
- How do you think Bud feels as he watches his pretend family walk away without him. Explain: why do you think he feels this way?
Chapters 7 & 8:
- According to Bud, what does the phrase, “Haven’t you heard?” usually mean?
- How do you think Bud feels when he hears that Ms. Hill has moved away? Explain: Why do you think he feels this way?
- Why do you think Bud opens up to Deza Malone and tells her about his mother. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Why do you think the white people in Hooverville wont accept help from others?
- What is the trick that Bud uses to help himself fall asleep?
- Why do you think the police try to prevent the men from getting on the train?
Chapters 9 & 10:
- Why do you think the librarian is so nice to Bud?
- How does Bud get the idea that Herman E. Calloway is his father?
- According to Bud’s rule number 87, what does it really mean when adults tell you they need help with a problem?
- Why does Bud lie to Mr. Lewis and tell him that he is from Grand Rapids?
- Why do you think Mr. Lewis stops to help Bud when so many cars passed without stopping for him?
Chapters 11 & 12:
- Why does Bud pay close attention to the way Mr. Lewis drives a car?
- According to Bud’s rule number 29, what should you do when you wake up but aren’t sure where you are?
- Why does Bud think its different to lie to a kid than to lie to an adult?
- Why does Mr. Lewis send a telegram to Herman E. Calloway?
- In your own words, explain what a Labor Union is. Use information from the text and context clues to help you.
- How do you think Bud feels when he realizes that Herman E. Calloway is very old? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chapters 13 & 14:
- How do you think Herman E. Calloway and Jimmy feel when they hear Bud’s announcement?
- How do you think Bud feels when Jimmy invites him to come to the Sweet Pea to eat ? What makes you say that?
- Why do you think Bud begins to cry and cannot stop? What makes you say this?
Chapters 15 & 16:
- Why does Herman E. Calloway call his house the Grand Calloway Station?
- Why do you think that Herman E. Calloway doesn’t like Bud?
- What does Bud consider more important, the suitcase or the items inside the suitcase? Why?
- Do you think meeting his dad for the first time went just like Bud had hoped it would? Explain why or why not.
- How do you think Bud likes the new name given to him by the band? Provide proof from the story to support your claim.
Chapter 17, 18 & 19:
- Why do you think Bud wants to show Herman E. Calloway the rocks his mother gave him?
- Describe two emotions that Bud feels when he learns that Herman E. Calloway is his grandfather. Explain why Bud has these two feelings.
- Why do you think Herman E. Calloway locks himself into the room after he finds out that Bud is his grandson?
- Explain why Mr. Calloway never got in touch with Bud and his mother.
- Why do you think Bud goes into Herman E. Calloway’s room and put the rocks and flyers on his dresser?
- What do you Bud meant when he said that the squeaks and squawks of his saxophone were the closing of one door and the opening of another door ?