Her first Middle Grade book, “The Rat Prince,” was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. She is also the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Like Ava in “The Button Box,” Bridget is Sephardic. It’s certainly sequel worthy with many directions these characters could take with the plot.īRIDGET HODDER: Bridget has decades of experience as a reading and communication specialist, working primarily with young people with learning disabilities.

Not to be missed are the author notes about who are Muslim and Sephardic Jews along with more background on Prince Abdur Rahman.

The many unfamiliar words were all defined in the 3-page back-pages glossary.

Ava and Nadeem were likeable and their companionship became a necessary link to the climatic ending.

I learned about Morocco and it’s culture along with tidbits from Spain’s history.

In particular, how the world today could learn from the kindness and peace loving cultures portrayed.īOOK BIRTHDAY: ApPAGE COUNT: 152 FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE BUTTON BOX Much discussion could take place from a classroom or at-home read aloud of THE BUTTON BOX. Although the book could have been longer, the shorter length is much appreciated in this day of 300 + page middle grade books. Having a button be the unique portal to the past was a never before used device in time travel books. Yes, different faiths can work together toward a common goal. It’s a fun, fictional twist to have children help him make the trip. Abdur Rahmna was an actual prince as history tells us, who did escape to the safety of Spain. It’s a fast pace read through 14 chapters. If they fail, they could change the course of history forever!Ī unique plot with diverse main characters, ones you don’t find very often as protagonists in MG lit. It’s up to Ester, Ava, and Nadeem to help him. Prince Abdur Rahman is trying to reach safety in Spain. There, they meet their feisty Jewish ancestor, Ester ibn Evran, and a Muslim prince on the run from his enemies. Thanks to Granny Buena’s magical Button Box–and her mysterious cat, Sheba–Ava and Nadeem find themselves transported a thousand years back in time to medieval Morocco. But after a bully makes them question their ties to each other, a visit to their grandmother opens up a whole new world. Their different religions and cultures have never stopped them from being best friends. Ava is Sephardic Jewish and her cousin Nadeem is Muslim.

The Button Box by Bridget Hodder