The Friendship War

Could buttons be putting an end to the friendship Grace thought was perfect? When Grace brings buttons to school for Show and Tell the whole school starts up a button craze. Kids are trading buttons left and right, whether they are making bracelets or necklaces, it all revolves around buttons. When a trade goes sour, Grace sets out to end the button craze because she is no longer into buttons and she wants her friend back. Can Grace stop button fever alone, or will she need help from unexpected friends to save a seemingly impossible situation?

I love the author, Andrew Clements, especially his book Frindle, butThe Friendship War isn’t my favorite because I found it very unrealistic that a whole middle school would go crazy over buttons. I cared about the main character, Grace, and if she would make up with her best friend, but the dialogue and the plot just felt fake. I remember when fidget spinners were a big deal, but they never caused a “fever,” and we are talking about just regular buttons!

I think kids that think scientifically or mathematically like Grace might like this book. For instance, there is a whole paragraph where Grace estimates how many buttons the entire school has after counting buttons on only two-thirds of the school. I think this book is going to appeal to a younger audience than intended, maybe around six to eight years old. Clements fans are going to scoop it up like a lost button, but it’s not his best book.