Before you embark on reading Bud Not Buddy with your class, have them imagine they are in Bud's shoes. They must prioritize which of 13 items listed on a printable worksheet they would take with them to survive as a Depression-Era runaway. Then they work with a group to agree on item rankings, making and supporting claims for the ones they think are most important. After reading the novel, they revisit the sheet and add Bud's rankings for each item.