Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud (not Buddy), at age ten, is already well aware of life's lack of fairness. His mother has died, and he suffers one horrible experience after another in foster homes in Great Depression-era Flint, Michigan. After having a pencil shoved up his nose and spending a sleepless night locked in a shed, Bud decides it's time to try to escape this abusive cycle, but where to? He believes his mother meant to tell him who his father is before she died, but she waited too long. All he has are a few clues that he knows will lead to his father, or at least he hopes they will. So Bud sets out on a journey to the other side of the state and meets some interesting characters, and situations, along the way. He faces his adventure with honesty (even though he's a master liar), courage, and wit. An engaging story for fifth-graders on up.