Ever since his mother died four years earlier, ten-year-old Bud Caldwell has been carrying around a small suitcase containing her mementos: a photo of his mother as a child, small stones with dates and places written on them, and a collection of old flyers advertising concerts by Herman E. Calloway’s jazz band. Bud isn’t sure what any of it means but he’s certain that it holds clues to the identity of his father, someone he’s determined to find after he runs away from the miserable foster home in which he was placed. Bud’s adventures on and off the road in Depression-era Michigan are told in a charming hyperbolic narrative, filled with humor and insight. Details of African-American social history are skillfully woven into the action-packed story which is sure to be a hit with young readers. Honor book: CCBC Coretta Scott King Author Award Discussion. (Ages 8-13)