Bud can't help himself and begins to cry uncontrollably. The reason Bud cannot control his tears is because he is overjoyed to finally be around people who will treat him with compassion and care. Being an orphan who is on the "lam" isn't easy and Bud feels like he's part of a family after spending some time with them.
Why did Bud make so much noise when he came downstairs? He wanted to make sure they knew he was coming back into the room. What did the band, Mr. Calloway, and Miss Thomas decide about Bud while he slept that first night?
In the end, Bud is happy at home in Calloway's house, and the book ends with Bud learning to play the new saxophone his buddy Steady Eddie bought for him.
Steady Eddie gives Bud a saxophone. The saxophone has been used but is in good shape from repairs they gave it. They let Bud know that he must polish it himself. One other gift Eddie was instrumental in giving Bud was a nickname which all the band members had.
Chapter 17 Summary. While the band prepares to rehearse, Bud works with the mop, pretending that it is the underwater boat in the book he erroneously remembers as Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea. The boy knows that Herman E. Calloway is trying to "work [him] like a dog," but Bud is used to hard labor.
Bud hands Calloway the rock, and Calloway pockets it, which confuses Bud. In the car, he tells Bud that he picked up the rock because of a "bad habit" (18.31). He throws the rock into his glove compartment, where Bud finds a whole bunch of other rocks with words and numbers on them.
What did Bud decide when he realized that this was where he was supposed to be? He decided Mr. Calloway wasn't really so bad after all. Why did Bud cry?
They all need to head west to try to find some kind of work. The poor men trying to ride west are enough of a threat that the cops, one by one, begin to throw down their billy clubs just as the big engine begins its shushush sound of movement.
Why did Bud correct the caseworker when she called him "Buddy"? His mother had given him the name Bud, not Buddy. What medical condition did Todd Amos have? He had asthma.
Why does Bud have to bite his tongue when he gets into the shed? Bud was afraid, yet didn't want to show it. Bud has to bite his tongue because he was about to say "I'll do anything as long as you don't lock me in here".
He who laughs last laughs best
Why does Bud think that losing your teeth is the scariest things that can happen to a kid? He was afraid he wouldn't be able to eat. Because he is afraid all of his body parts will will fall off as well.
What did the man in Hooverville mean when he said President Hoover worked so hard to make sure every town had a Hooverville, and that it seemed criminal to call it anything else? The man blames President Hoover for the poverty in the country, so it is appropriate to call the cardboard shacks Hooverville.
After Bud survives a vicious hornet attack and gets revenge on Todd, he flees the Amos household with his suitcase and begins walking to the north side library.
Bud always introduces himself as "Bud" because that is his name. Bud's mother named him Bud, not Buddy; therefore, Bud wants to be called what his mother named him. In order to honor his mother's wishes, Bud makes it clear to people that he is to be called Bud, not Buddy.
Bud takes to hiding in bushes when cars go by, but as he grows tired, he does it less frequently. Consequently, a car speeding through almost blinds Buddy, prompting him to hide in the bushes. Bud stays quiet, so the man tempts him by telling him he has a spare baloney sandwich and an apple in his car.
Calloway, the man Bud believes is his father. Then there is Mr. Jimmy Wesley, who plays the horn, Doug "the Thug" Tennant, the drummer, Harrison "Steady Eddie" Patrick, the sax man,Chug "Doo-Doo Bug Cross, who plays the trombone, and the piano player, Roy "Dirty Deed" Breed, the only member of the band who is white.
Bud tries to keep the napkin over his face as she does. She soothes him and starts humming to him. He feels either her lips or her hands whisper to him to “Go ahead and cry,” because “[he's] home.”
Bud is good liar. He admits it several times in the story, and rule number three is a good reason for why he is a good liar. His rule says to keep lies simple. That means don't make them overly complex because then the lie becomes too convoluted for its own good.
Bugs just happens to remember how much Bud liked the library and when he heard the younger boy was on the lam, he went there looking for him.
Chapter 13
Bud tells Calloway his mom is dead, and Jimmy tries to find out if Bud has any family or if he is from an orphanage. Bud answers in a roundabout way so that they won't send him back to the Home. Kind of frustrated with Bud's answers, Jimmy sends him away so the band can talk.Why does Lefty predict that Bud will have trouble "sitting down?" He thinks that Buddy is going to be spanked by Herman for running away.
Chapter Eleven: On the Road with Mr.
Unfortunately for Bud, he only makes it a few feet before the car stops and the 'vampire' asks him to open his window. Bud agrees, and learns that the 'vampire,' Mr. Lefty Lewis, is actually just transporting blood to the hospital.Q. Why did Lefty Lewis carry around real human blood in his car? Lefty Lewis was a vampire. Lefty Lewis' daughter was a vampire.
What good news did Bud and Jerry get? No, he was going to be with a boy close to his age who would probably want to fight with him. According to Bud, did he have a better foster assignment than Jerry did? You just studied 26 terms!
Chapter 15
After Miss Thomas says goodnight, he hears her argue with Calloway outside of his door. Out of nowhere, Calloway busts into the room, locks all the closet doors and threatens Bud, saying he had better not touch anything or snoop because he'll find out and send Bud away.
