Meet this inspiring author at his home in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Find out how writing changed his life and listen to him read from his Newbery Award-winning book Bud, Not Buddy - the powerful story of a young African American's quest to find his father and himself. -20 mins
Skipping Stones Honor Award

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Topics for classroom discussion and assignments:

• Make a picture album about your life. The album should include pictures of relatives, pictures of yourself at different ages, and pictures of people who influenced your lives. Make sure you include pets and important personal items (such as letters, notes, school awards) that helped define who you are. Be sure to keep the album in a safe place and save it for the future.

• In Bud, Not Buddy, Bud looks for the father he never knew. Imagine not knowing your own parents. What would that be like? If you were Bud, what would you do to find your real parents? What would you say when they found them. 

• Essay: Pretend that someone important in your life — a parent, pet, friend, sibling — just isn’t there.

• How would it feel? How would your life be different? How would you be different?

• Write a letter to this person or pet, explaining how glad you are that they exist.

• Research the Civil Right’s movement in order to better understand the hardships that many citizens experienced during this time. Write an essay on what you learned.

• Rewrite the words to a favorite melody or song and read it to the class.