Bud, Not Buddy
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 1 curriculum reference, 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.
- 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.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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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.
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 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
family · identity · perseverance · depression era · race
Content notes
child abuse · orphan trauma
Common Sense Media recommends age 9+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like Bud, Not Buddy→ — matched on theme + reading level.
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). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
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 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.