In Bud, Not Buddy, what are the most important rules that help Bud survive?

Bud has an entire book of rules and thoughts that he lives by. These rules are inserted throughout the story. One of the first things we learn about Bud is that his mother had a huge influence on how he thinks, even though Bud was only six when she died.

One of the things his mother repeated to him often was:

"When one door closes, another door opens."

This definitely helped Bud to survive...

Bud has an entire book of rules and thoughts that he lives by. These rules are inserted throughout the story. One of the first things we learn about Bud is that his mother had a huge influence on how he thinks, even though Bud was only six when she died.

One of the things his mother repeated to him often was:

"When one door closes, another door opens."

This definitely helped Bud to survive psychologically and physically. Most adults would have given up if facing the same elements Bud did. However, each time Bud had to face a new obstacle, he would remember his mother's wisdom and go in search of another open door.

Some of Bud's own rules that help him to survive include:

"Rule 39 - The older you get, the worse something has to be to make you cry."

This helps Bud to understand how his grandfather truly feels when the truth comes out and he realizes that Bud really is his grandson. He hears his grandfather cry for the first time and realizes that he has a heart behind that mean exterior.

"Rule 29 - When you wake up and don't know for sure where you are at and there's a bunch of people standing around you, it's best to pretend you're still asleep until you can figure out what's going on."

This is how Bud survives the uncertainties of his daily life. At times, because of his constantly changing situation, Bud is not sure where he is when he wakes up. Several times during the story, Bud listens carefully to his surroundings and the people talking around him before acting.