Bud, Not Buddy: Chapters 1–5

by Christopher Paul Curtis
During the Great Depression, a ten-year-old boy hits the road in search of the father he has never known.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–19

Here are links to our lists for other works by Christopher Paul Curtis: The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Elijah of Buxton, The Journey of Little Charlie
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. glum
    moody and sorrowful
    The woman said, “Now, now, boys, no need to look so glum."
  2. unfortunately
    by bad luck
    She smiled and said, “Unfortunately, you won’t have time for breakfast."
  3. commence
    begin or get started
    You can’t be too sure, though, ’cause it shakes you up a whole lot more than grown folks think it does when perfectly good parts of your body commence to loosening up and falling off of you.
  4. engagement
    employment for performers that lasts for a limited time
    Across the top of the flyer writ in big black letters were the words limited engagement, then in little letters it said, “Direct from an S.R.O. engagement in New York City.”
  5. suspicion
    an impression that something might be the case
    Next the paper said, “Masters of the New Jazz,” then in the middle of the flyer was a blurry picture of the man I have a real good suspicion about.
  6. provoke
    call forth to appear or occur
    "Not only have you struck him, you have provoked his asthma!”
  7. asthma
    respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing
    "Not only have you struck him, you have provoked his asthma!”
  8. lavatory
    a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
    Todd said, “I just tried to waken him to make sure he’d gone to the lavatory, Mother. I was just trying to help.”
  9. urchin
    a poor and often mischievous city child
    “I’ve never gotten it in as deep as the N on any of you other little street urchins."
  10. tolerate
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    “You are a beastly little brute and I will not tolerate even one night with you under my roof."
  11. ilk
    a kind of person
    Lord knows I have been stung by my own people before. But take a good look at me because I am one person who is totally fed up with you and your ilk.
  12. conscience
    a feeling of shame when you do something immoral
    I do hope your conscience plagues you because you may have ruined things for many others.
  13. vermin
    an irritating or obnoxious person
    "I do know I shall not allow vermin to attack my poor baby in his own house.”
  14. assurance
    a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something
    “This shall be our assurance that nothing comes up missing from the house and that this little animal is still here in the morning."
  15. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    I looked back up into the rafters to see if the bat had woke up. He was still sound asleep.
Created on Sat Dec 14 10:37:14 EST 2013 (updated Wed Jun 18 12:40:41 EDT 2025)

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