Dear Christopher Paul Curtis,

I read your book Bud, Not Buddy, and it inspired me greatly. Before I read your book I was a loner. I hardly had any friends, and the friends I did have were my cousins. My social life was a bust, but reading your book changed that.  I started making friends and found two best buds for life! Then everywhere I went I had friends! Then it all changed.

I had to move. I didn’t want to move, but it’s not like I had any say. My mom and dad chose everything I do an everywhere I go. Because, well, you know, they’re parents. So I moved and everything was how it was. No friends, no life.

So I tried talking to people, didn’t work. It just made things awkward. So this is how it ends, I thought to myself, a life without friends, without buddies.  What a mess.

Then I thought about how much fun I had with my old friends, and how I got those friends, and then I thought about Bud, Not Buddy and how it helped me.

So it took me about three days to reread the book, and when I did I could think straight. I went up to girl named Carissa and said, “Hey, I read this book called Bud, Not Buddy, you should read it sometime.” She told me she doesn’t  like to read. I told her, “Well that’s one thing we don’t have in common,” and she laughed.

After a while Carissa introduced me to Frances, one of her friends. We all started hanging out and soon we became best friends. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Bud, Not Buddy helped me a lot and I thank you for writing it

Sincerely yours,

Yasmeen Herrick

7th Grade
Randy Smith Middle School, Fairbanks, Alaska
Teacher:  Jessica Westfall