Cover of Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Among the most widely assigned — 9 curriculum lists · 10 states

On reading-award lists:Newbery MedalPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardVermont Golden Dome Book AwardWilliam Allen White Children's Book Award+4 more

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 950L. It appears across 9 curriculum references and 10 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Bud, Not Buddy is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Lexile
950L
Grade range
Grades 4–7
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
256
Reading time
about 4h 40m (est.)
First published
1999
Genre
Historical Fiction
ISBN-13
9780553494105

Reading difficulty: At 950L, Bud, Not Buddy falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

Ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, orphaned during the Great Depression, runs away from his foster home in Flint, Michigan to find the man he believes is his father. Winner of the 2000 Newbery Medal AND the Coretta Scott King Award — the only book ever to win both in the same year. Commonly assigned in 4th-7th grade Depression-era units.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Bud, Not Buddy→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction title, reads at young-adult to upper-middle-grade complexity, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on family and identity; cited across 9 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

family · identity · perseverance · depression era · race

Content notes

child abuse · orphan trauma

Common Sense Media recommends age 9+.

Where this book is assigned

Show 3 more awards & assignments

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Common questions

What grade level is Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud, Not Buddy is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 950L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud, Not Buddy has a Lexile measure of 950L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Bud, Not Buddy?
It takes about 4h 40m to read Bud, Not Buddy (256 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 280 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Bud, Not Buddy hard to read for 4th grade?
At 950L, Bud, Not Buddy falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud, Not Buddy appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award, and 6 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
950L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 9 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 10 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

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