Button Down

November 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Ned Button has football fever, especially since local boy Lester Ward gets drafted for the Iowa University Hawkeyes. When Ned catches Lester's pass thrown from his departing train, he is thrilled. Just as quickly as it comes, the ball is snatched away by Lester's bully of a brother, Burton. Ned is left empty-handed watching Burton "peacocking" around his friends. Although scrawny for an 11-year-old and no match for Burton's bulk, Ned is determined to get the ball back. And he knows just the person to help him-his Granddaddy Ike. Ned strikes a bargain with Burton to get their teams together and play a game. The winner gets the ball. Ylvisaker has returned to the "down on their luck" Button family she introduced in The Luck of the Buttons (Candlewick, 2011) with the introduction of Ned. She uses the "good old days" charm and innocence as well as common sense and Granddaddy's wisdom to confront the universal issue of bullying. At the same time, the author conveys the importance of a supportive family and loyal friends.D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2012
Ylvisaker (The Luck of the Buttons, 2011) returns to the lovably unlucky Button family, this time with a gentle story about 11-year-old Ned and his love of football. When local legend-in-the-making Lester Ward goes off to play football for the University of Iowa, he tosses his old football into an eager pack of boys, and surprise of surprises, it is caught by scrawny Ned Button. But when Lester's younger brother Burton steals the ball away, Ned and his friends are ostracized and reduced to playing with a newspaper-and-twine football on the sidelines. That is, until Granddaddy Ike gets involved. He convinces the group of ragtag youth that football is more about strategy than size, teaching them plays to run against the bigger, tougher boys. And despite a failing heart, Granddaddy arranges to make one of Ned's dreams--attending a game at the University of Iowa--come true. The precise historical setting--tiny Goodhue, Iowa, in 1929--is not central to this story, though it's carefully drawn. It could happen anyplace where bullies do nothing worse than steal footballs and a grandfather's advice and love are enough to make a kid feel like he can take on the world. Short chapters, simple yet meticulous language, a wholesome feel and the universal story of a boy with a dream combine to give this one widespread appeal. (Historical fiction. 8-11)

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