The Witch's Buttons

Matter-of-Fact Magic

by Ruth Chew, Unknown Author

Vintage book

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Witches, Young Adult, Halloween, Middle Grade

Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 1974

About the author

Ruth Chew is the author of a number of popular books for young readers, including Secondhand Magic and The Wednesday Witch. She was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Washington, D.C. She studied art at the Corcoran School of Art and worked as a fashion artist. She was the mother of five children.

Reviews

[Lisa Moyer]

This is the book. This is the book that I read at the library on the floor in the corner, when I was probably in third grade. I was not in a very good home situation and this was the book that took me away. I have been looking for it for about 8 years and now I have found it. I will always be grateful to Ruth Chew.

[SheriC · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how great a book must be when you still remember how it fired your little girl imagination. Probably Ruth Chew is singlehandedly responsible for my lifelong love of fantasy and horror stories.

[Christina Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that got me hooked on reading. I must have read it fifty times. It was tattered and beaten, survived several moves, and held a spot on my bookshelf for my own children to read. Unfortunately, they were not quite as enamored as I was, but maybe my grand children will be. It is the ONLY book I still have from my childhood.

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be the first Ruth Chew book I ever read. I think I got it some time between 2nd and 4th grade from one of those grade school book order sheets that were given out at my school from time to time.

My sister and I were both mildly obsessed with the witch books Ruth Chew wrote, me first because I was older.

Basically the plots of these books went something like this: Bored, unsupervised grade school kid(s) find some sort of magic object which causes them to meet and hang out with a benevolent old witch. Adventures ensue. The parents never have any idea that their kid(s) are involved in some far out crazy shit. These are probably the same kids who end up pregnant or overdosing on heroin (or overdosing on heroin while pregnant) while their parents claim they never imaged something like this could happen to their family.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book when I was in grade school when there was no cable tv, no Internet, no iPods and it was one of the most magical books I have ever read at that time. I regret selling this book in a garage sale.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books from my childhood. I think it inspired my button collection.

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly brief juvenile fiction book- overall, it was pretty good when you consider the audience it's written for and the length of the book.

When chapter books are as short as this is, you don't get much time for character development or world building or any of that kind of thing. Even so, it ends up being an enjoyable read.
Essentially, two girls are acquaintances but then start to become friends when one girl doubles back looking for her missing button. The other girl offers to help and they look through her mother's button bag in search of a matching button. Instead, they find a button that ends up being a magic button with a man trapped in it. A witch steals the button back, it turns out the man trapped in a button is the witch's brother. She frees him, but, then he gets revenge and traps her back in a button. This book is not scary at all, the witch is friendly. Everything resolves nicely- but it leaves you wishing there were more books in the series.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely an early chapter book straight out of nostalgia for me (we didn't call them chapter backs in my school library in the 1970s; we just called them "books"). I think this book holds up remarkably well 40 years or so after being published. Other than the groovy, far out bell bottom pants suit on the cover, the magical adventures of Sandy and Janet are still quite fun. Perhaps not as rollicking as J.K. Rowling, but Ruth Chew weaves a pretty tight and exciting story. Truly urban fantasy; the book takes place in Brooklyn (although I don't think many Brooklynites of today would recognize it as such). I've had a love affair with witches of fiction for most of my reading life, which most likely germinating in books like this, read and re-read over and over in third, fourth and fifth grade.

[Laura Cayouette · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite books in my youth. I spent many rainy days with this story. Sunny ones too. I have no idea how many times I read it but it was one of my favorite escapes.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books bring back such memories for me. I devoured all of Ruth Chew's books, and I can't remember if this was the first one I read or if it was "The Wishing Tree." Either way, these are excellent, magical children's adventure stories. This one is fantastic - a witch charmed some buttons and a two friends find them. It turns out that the buttons are actually a man shrunken by the witch and his travelling machine. Good stuff!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am 12 years old and i read this book in third grade. i was probably the pickiest reader back then. i remember i finished an assignment early and my teacher told me to get a book from the class library so i just pulled randomly a book. the witches buttons. i began to read and couldn't stop. i love this book so much that last year my dad bought it for me. still to this day i enjoy reading this book to my family. this is the best children's book i have ever read. thank you Ruth Chew.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in elementary school, so long ago. For some reason the other day it jarred my memory and I had to find out the author and title of this book! I remember getting lost in this book and absolutely LOVING it! They have old copies of this for sale on amazon.com and I'm going to buy it for my kids now.

[Kaijsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all Ruth Chew books and buy them whenever I can find them at used book stores. They are filled with fun, good magic and cute stories. They are great imaginative adventures for kids without really getting them seriously into magic and dragons and all that.

[treva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Chew was a childhood favorite of mine, and this was a perfect re-read when I had a 36-hour raging headache, due largely to a neighbor's 4-hour midnight polka party. And I swear I'm not making that up.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of all Ruth Chew's books. I still have a copy from early elementary school in the 1970's. The illustrations are wonderful & I still enjoy the story to this day. It's not your typical scary witch story but still has a few spooky elements to it.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

a childhood favorite

[Kim]

What a great children's book!

[La La · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these books (there are several witches books)with my son when he was a child. They are wonderful children's books.

[Kulsoom]

My aunt was reading this when she got the call that told her I was born.

[Sarah Nadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of her best books! I love Ruth Chew

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story about two girls who find a button that is actually a man turned into a button by his sister. (Spoiler alert: both siblings are witches and weirdly obsessed with buttons.)

[Emma Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had such a neat and interesting storyline that was a lot of fun. I think it would be a good book to read to your class around Halloween time!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most re-read book of my youth.

[Burnettkw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child. Books about magic were my escape, and this was one of my favorites.

[Brooke King · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first novel I ever read as a kid!

[Mark Haury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made a big impression on me as a kid. I've been on a mission to re-read the books that were my favorites when I was young. This one has a somewhat unsatisfying ending and the plot is a bit uneven, but it was still worth the re-read. In general, I'm finding the young reader books rewarding and positive in a time when the last thing I need is to be slapped in the face with the less wholesome aspects of humanity and existence.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I like children's books and YA books. I also like books about witches.

Someone recommended this book to another reader, and I thought it would be fun and interesting. I wasn't wrong.

These are very cute little magical books for children (and for those of us who enjoy children's books). I definitely enjoyed it!

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved this book. I first read it long ago in 2nd grade. After that I started reading all the Ruth Chew books I could find. The Witch's Buttons and What the Witch Left are my favorites. I like the low-key magic that makes you think it could be possible.

[Toni Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandy loses a button from her coat. Janet helps her find a new one. When Sandy finds an interesting button shaped like a man, she notices a woman following her and Janet everywhere they go.

This is such a cute story about the two girls meeting a witch and her brother. Very enjoyable. 4 stars.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

C-. fiction, children's fiction, fantasy, from stash, discard