Overall I really liked this story, but I felt the author skipped over things that (like the death of Bud) that may be too hard for children to hear. I don't know if the author knows what happened to Bud, but if they did, then it should have been included in the book. It also does not have the happiest of endings, but it is true to life, so if the story seems to come up short, I can understand that, and hope that kids could as well.