The Button Boxes

by Temple Kinyon, Julene Ewert (Illustrations)

What does a football-loving kid do with a couple of old wooden boxes and a pile of buttons? Andy Howell sure doesn't know, but his Grandma Lois gives him precisely that on his twelfth birthday. "They'll change your life and show you spectacular stories about our family's history," Lois tells him. But Andy wonders if she's just trying to coax him toward a future in the family tailoring business and away from his dream of becoming a famous football player. And when she urges him to sleep with the buttons to unlock their magical stories, he begins to think she’s going crazy. He doesn't have time to mess with stupid buttons and boxes. All he can think about right now is how to get a good grade on his family tree project in history so he doesn’t get benched by his coach and ridiculed by his teammates, who are also his friends. But when Lois suddenly ends up in the hospital with a mysterious ailment, Andy begins to wonder if the power of the buttons and boxes are the only things that can save her. If he learns the button's secrets and his family history, will it cure Lois? Andy doesn't know but frantically devises a plan to rescue her, risking trouble with his parents, teachers, friends, and worst of all, his coach. But is it too late?

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2019

About the author

Temple Kinyon is an author and freelance writer living in Las Vegas, Nevada. She grew up on a wheat farm in Potlatch, Idaho and attended the University of Idaho, receiving her B.S. in Communications/Advertising in 1993 After graduating, Kinyon worked in the real estate and hospitality industries, enhancing her marketing and communications experience before returning to her alma mater in 1997 to work at the University of Idaho Alumni Office as the Off-Campus Events and Volunteer Manager. In this capacity, she met Scott Green, an alumni chapter volunteer from New York. As a proud Vandal, she is honored and humbled to be co-author with Green on their new book, UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT'S CRISIS HANDBOOK. (2024, Wiley) Kinyon's love for the institution has never wavered, even when she relocated to Las Vegas in 2003. She worked at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in the President’s Office and became a certified barista for Starbucks. Her dream of becoming a published author came to fruition when she jumped into a full-time freelance writing career in 2012. She became a contributing writer for BLVDS LV Magazine in 2014, where she also landed her first editorial assistant position. Kinyon published her first book, THE BUTTON BOXES, in 2019. Her fiction and creative non-fiction contributions have appeared in HOME&HARVEST magazine (Oh, Otis! Shenanigans) and IDAHO GRAIN magazine. Kinyon considers herself a creative business writer, as well as a nostalgia writer; both her books prove her wide range of writing capabilities. She also works as a freelance copywriter and editor and occasional writing mentor to young creatives. Kinyon firmly believes in persistence, pursuing dreams, full-circle moments, living an effervescent life, and using the good China for pizza dinner.

Reviews

[Beverly Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful, charming and exciting book. This is a juvenile book, but most definitely readable for adults as well. This is the author’s first book and it is well written. I was given this book for my library from the authors family member. I will be recommending this book for all my patrons. I look forward to more from Temple.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for all ages!

This heart warming story brought tears to my eyes as the story unfolds and shows the love between and grandson and his grandmother and bond only they can share.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book with author having local ties to our region.
Quick read with a message of the importance of family history (using fantasy). Will share with my granddaughters.

[Linda Sanborn]

This is a delightful read for all ages. The premise of the friendship of a Grandmother and Grandson warms your heart throughout.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book . I believe one of the best books in a long time . Takes you away to another time . I was fascinated . I liked it!