Bud Caldwell
Bud Caldwell, who is christened “Sleepy LaBone” towards the end of the story, is the protagonist of Bud, Not Buddy. He is a resourceful, intelligent, and optimistic African American boy who has spent the…
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Herman E. Calloway
Herman E. Calloway is the grandfather of Bud Caldwell and the estranged father of Bud’s mother, Angela Janet Caldwell. Herman is the band leader of the Dusky Devastators of the Depression/Nubian Knights. He has…
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Momma / Angela Janet Caldwell
Momma is Bud Caldwell’s late mother and Herman E. Calloway’s late daughter. Though Momma is dead at the outset of the novel—she died four years prior, when Bud was only six years old—Bud’s…
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Miss Thomas
Miss Thomas is the singer in Herman E. Calloway’s band, though she prefers to be called a vocal stylist. She is kind, beautiful, and one of Bud’s fiercest advocates. Bud adores her in…
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Lefty Lewis
Mrs. Sleet’s father. Lefty Lewis finds Bud Caldwell on the side of the road on the way from Grand Rapids from Flint and immediately shows concern for the boy. He feeds Bud and asks…
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Get the entire Bud, Not Buddy LitChart as a printable PDF.
Bugs
Bugs is Bud Caldwell’s best friend at the Home. Everyone calls him Bugs because of an unfortunate incident involving a cockroach that got stuck in his ear. Bugs, like Bud, is looking to…
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Steady Eddie
Steady Eddie is the saxophone player in Herman’s band. He takes Bud under his wing and is the one to give Bud his first instrument, a flute, as well as his old saxophone case…
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Jimmy
Jimmy is one of the band members and one of Herman E. Calloway’s closest friends. He is the one who invites Bud Caldwell to go out to eat with the band after Herman denies…
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Deza Malone
Deza Malone is the young girl that Bud Caldwell meets in Hooverville, whom he shares his first kiss with. She is a very good listener and helps Bud open up about his mother…
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Pretend Parents
Bud Caldwell’s “pretend momma” and “pretend poppa” are two kindly strangers who save him from a beating from the mission’s security guard and ensure that Bud can have a meal. They invite Bud…
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Mrs. Sleet
Lefty Lewis’s daughter and the mother of Kim and Scott Sleet. She is the first person Bud hears when he wakes up after getting a ride from Lefty Lewis. She is very concerned with…
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Mrs. Amos
Todd’s mother and Mr. Amos’s husband. The Amoses, a middle-class family, are Bud Caldwell’s third foster family. Mrs. Amos dismisses her son’s blatant physical abuse—she watches Todd beat up Bud but still…
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Todd Amos
Todd Amos is the only son of Mr. Amos and Mrs. Amos. He is 12 years old and a constant bully to Bud Caldwell during his short time in the Amoses’ household. He is…
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Dirty Deed
The trombone player in Herman’s band. He is also the only white member of the band, and the Log Cabin, Herman’s club, is in his name because it is illegal for Herman as a…
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Minor Characters
The Thug
The drummer in Herman’s band. He loves to crack jokes and make fun of Bud Caldwell and the other members of the band.
Mr. Amos
Todd’s father and Mrs. Amos’s husband. He goes along with his wife’s cruelty and locks Bud in the shed.
Kim Sleet
Mrs. Sleet’s daughter and Scott Sleet’s sister. Kim and Scott are Lefty Lewis’s “favorite”—and only—grandchildren. She takes interest in Bud’s story and asks him questions about his mother and his life during breakfast at Mrs. Sleet’s house.
Scott Sleet
Mrs. Sleet’s son, Kim Sleet’s brother, and one of Lefty Lewis’s “favorite” grandchildren.
Doo Doo Bug
The trombone player in Herman’s band.
Tyla
The waitress at Sweet Pea, where Jimmy and the other bandmembers take Bud for a meal. Steady Eddie and Tyla have a close (likely romantic) relationship.
Jerry Clark
Another boy at the Home. At the beginning of the novel, he and Bud Caldwell are both sent to live in new foster homes. Although Bud can’t bring himself to cry, Jerry does shed some tears, and Bud comforts him.
Mouth-Organ Man
A man that Bugs and Bud meet in Hooverville, a shanty town made out of cardboard and crates. He invites the boys to stick around and eat a meal, as long as they help out with cleanup duty.
Miss Hill
Bud’s favorite librarian who moves to Chicago with her new husband before Bud has a chance to ask her for help while he’s running away.
The Librarian
A kindly librarian who helps Bud when he’s looking for maps. She informs him of Miss Hill’s recent move and also tells him that she remembers when he and his Momma used to visit the library years ago.
The Caseworker
The woman who comes to the Home to inform Bud and Jerry Clark that they’ve both been placed in new foster homes.
