To begin with, Bud, Not Buddy is about a ten-year-old boy who's trying to find his dad. On his journey he meets and sees many people he knows and doesn't know. His mom had lots of things to lead him to who we thought was his dad. His dad is not who he thinks he is. It's a very good book.
Furthermore, the Amoses would have treated him differently. Bud's name might be Barbara, and he wouldn't have slept in the shed. He probably wouldn't have been in Todd's