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The Buttons #1
The Luck of the Buttons
In Iowa circa 1929, spunky twelve-year-old Tugs vows to turn her family’s luck around, with the help of a Brownie camera and a small-town mystery.
Tugs Esther Button was born to a luckless family. Buttons don’t presume to be singers or dancers. They aren’t athletes or artists, good listeners, or model citizens. The one time a Button ever made the late Goodhue Gazette - before Harvey Moore came along with his talk of launching a new paper - was when Great Grandaddy Ike accidentally set Town Hall ablaze. Tomboy Tugs looks at her hapless family and sees her own reflection looking back until she befriends popular Aggie Millhouse, wins a new camera in the Independence Day raffle, and stumbles into a mystery only she can solve. Suddenly this is a summer of change - and by its end, being a Button may just turn out to be what one clumsy, funny, spirited, and very observant young heroine decides to make of it.
Tugs Esther Button was born to a luckless family. Buttons don’t presume to be singers or dancers. They aren’t athletes or artists, good listeners, or model citizens. The one time a Button ever made the late Goodhue Gazette - before Harvey Moore came along with his talk of launching a new paper - was when Great Grandaddy Ike accidentally set Town Hall ablaze. Tomboy Tugs looks at her hapless family and sees her own reflection looking back until she befriends popular Aggie Millhouse, wins a new camera in the Independence Day raffle, and stumbles into a mystery only she can solve. Suddenly this is a summer of change - and by its end, being a Button may just turn out to be what one clumsy, funny, spirited, and very observant young heroine decides to make of it.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2011
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651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
December 7, 2011
There are kids out there that like historical fiction. I know that there are. I've met them. They come into my library and curl their lips in disgust at the covers with the shiny dragons and sparkly motes of dust swirling and whirling. The thing is, they don't know the term "historical fiction" and even if you told them that was the kind of book they preferred they'd look at you like you were attempting to make them eat something green and leafy. All they know is that they like stories about real kids and if those kids happen to live in the past, so be it. Why slap a label on what they love? Because if I don't make it clear that this is a genre that gets read we're going to find less and less books of that ilk appearing on our library and bookstore shelves. That would be a real pity too since books like The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker are some of the best in the biz. A svelte little novel that's chock full of plum, pluck, and vinegar, Ylvisaker gives us a heroine you can believe in but never pity. And the readability? Through the roof, man. Through the roof.
If you're growing up in Goodhue, Iowa then you probably know the Button family. More to the point, you probably know that they're just about the most luckless group of nobodies ever to place a foot on God's green earth. This has been true for generations and there's no reason to think that Tugs Button would be any different. Yet this year, she seems to be. First thing, Tugs wins the three-footed race with fancy Aggie Millhouse as her partner (Aggie's another story right there). Next, she wins the essay content for a piece of writing she though she'd dumped in the trash. And then third, she wins a raffle for a real, honest-to-goodness, Brownie camera. A gorgeous camera that takes great photographs. If the luck of Tugs is turning around, she'd definitely going to need it. There's a fast-talking newspaper man in town taking donations for a new paper, and Tugs is certain the fellow's up to no good. The result is a story of a girl who's been sleepwalking through her own life until, one day, she gets lucky.
There are two books out this year where smooth-talking shysters try to talk some money out of the local rubes. In The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm, the shyster gets away scot-free. In Luck of the Buttons . . . well, I shouldn't give anything away. Suffice to say, Tugs is onto this Harold Hill wannabe, pretty much from the get-go. And part of what I respect about Ylvisaker's writing is that Tugs has her reasons. She also has her handicaps. There is, first and foremost, the fact that she's a girl, and second there's the fact that her family lies on one of the lower rungs of their small town's status. Who's going to believe the suspicions of somebody that inherently (through no fault of her own) untrustworthy?
In fact, it's the small town mentality here that I really loved. It's easy to condemn small towns for their single-mindedness and stubborn memories. It's also easy to hold small towns up as bastions of truth, justice, and the American way. Far more difficult is to hit that balance between the two. Ylvisaker doesn't romanticize her characters in this town and she doesn't villainize them either. This is a location full of flawed folks, our heroine included. The Buttons themselves seem to be just as responsible for their reputations as their bad luck. As the book says at one point, "Buttons considered victory, even for one's affiliated party in national politics, showing off." So our heroine has antagonists not just from outside her family but inside it as well. It's tough to be the heroine of your own novel when even your own family members are advising you to keep from getting "a swell head".
Really, it's Ylvisaker's writing that keeps everything moving at a rapid clip. It's catchy with a beat you can dance to, but there's also an essential friendliness beneath it all. You like Tugs right from the start, even if she does talk too fast when she's nervous and wipe the snotty back of her hand on her overalls. She's the kind of kid you identify with. The one who pays attention to things that should not be and has to escape the weight of her family's history.
Basically if you're looking for pleasure reading that's also historical, I can't think of a better book to name than The Luck of the Buttons. Fun and funny, light but with a real emotional core, Ylvisaker's a consistently strong writer that's slowly building a following. If she keeps churning out books like this one, she's bound to become better known for sure. Hand this one over to the kid that wants a good story with humor and spice and a family that's practically cursed itself. It'll stick in your brain long after you've read it, this one, and you'll be glad that it's in there.
For ages 9-12.
If you're growing up in Goodhue, Iowa then you probably know the Button family. More to the point, you probably know that they're just about the most luckless group of nobodies ever to place a foot on God's green earth. This has been true for generations and there's no reason to think that Tugs Button would be any different. Yet this year, she seems to be. First thing, Tugs wins the three-footed race with fancy Aggie Millhouse as her partner (Aggie's another story right there). Next, she wins the essay content for a piece of writing she though she'd dumped in the trash. And then third, she wins a raffle for a real, honest-to-goodness, Brownie camera. A gorgeous camera that takes great photographs. If the luck of Tugs is turning around, she'd definitely going to need it. There's a fast-talking newspaper man in town taking donations for a new paper, and Tugs is certain the fellow's up to no good. The result is a story of a girl who's been sleepwalking through her own life until, one day, she gets lucky.
There are two books out this year where smooth-talking shysters try to talk some money out of the local rubes. In The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm, the shyster gets away scot-free. In Luck of the Buttons . . . well, I shouldn't give anything away. Suffice to say, Tugs is onto this Harold Hill wannabe, pretty much from the get-go. And part of what I respect about Ylvisaker's writing is that Tugs has her reasons. She also has her handicaps. There is, first and foremost, the fact that she's a girl, and second there's the fact that her family lies on one of the lower rungs of their small town's status. Who's going to believe the suspicions of somebody that inherently (through no fault of her own) untrustworthy?
In fact, it's the small town mentality here that I really loved. It's easy to condemn small towns for their single-mindedness and stubborn memories. It's also easy to hold small towns up as bastions of truth, justice, and the American way. Far more difficult is to hit that balance between the two. Ylvisaker doesn't romanticize her characters in this town and she doesn't villainize them either. This is a location full of flawed folks, our heroine included. The Buttons themselves seem to be just as responsible for their reputations as their bad luck. As the book says at one point, "Buttons considered victory, even for one's affiliated party in national politics, showing off." So our heroine has antagonists not just from outside her family but inside it as well. It's tough to be the heroine of your own novel when even your own family members are advising you to keep from getting "a swell head".
Really, it's Ylvisaker's writing that keeps everything moving at a rapid clip. It's catchy with a beat you can dance to, but there's also an essential friendliness beneath it all. You like Tugs right from the start, even if she does talk too fast when she's nervous and wipe the snotty back of her hand on her overalls. She's the kind of kid you identify with. The one who pays attention to things that should not be and has to escape the weight of her family's history.
Basically if you're looking for pleasure reading that's also historical, I can't think of a better book to name than The Luck of the Buttons. Fun and funny, light but with a real emotional core, Ylvisaker's a consistently strong writer that's slowly building a following. If she keeps churning out books like this one, she's bound to become better known for sure. Hand this one over to the kid that wants a good story with humor and spice and a family that's practically cursed itself. It'll stick in your brain long after you've read it, this one, and you'll be glad that it's in there.
For ages 9-12.
June 27, 2012
I'm actually listening to this audio cd in the car while on lengthy trips with my girls because the box recommends the story for ages 8 and up so I figured it was a "safe, clean" book to listen to with them.
We finished this book today and I must say that the girls really enjoyed it! It was quite predictable from the grown up perspective, but my 7 and 11 yr old truly enjoyed getting in the car just to see what would become of Harvey Moore and Tugs Button. Good, wholesome family read.
We finished this book today and I must say that the girls really enjoyed it! It was quite predictable from the grown up perspective, but my 7 and 11 yr old truly enjoyed getting in the car just to see what would become of Harvey Moore and Tugs Button. Good, wholesome family read.
April 11, 2011
The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker is a heartfelt and engaging story featuring heroine Tugs Button. It’s the summer of 1929 and twelve-year-old tomboy Tugs lives in Goodhue, Iowa with her family who have never been known for their good luck, athletic prowess or artistic talents.
The well-meaning but trouble-prone Tugs single-handedly goes about changing the Button bad luck into good luck. First, she makes friends with Aggie, the most popular girl in town who insists Tugs run the three-legged race with her on the 4th of July. Next, with the encouragement of Miss Lucy the librarian, she writes a patriotic essay for the Independence Day contest. Then, she helps out store owner Mr. Pepper and is entered into a raffle to win a Brownie camera. To Pugs’ amazement, blue ribbons and prizes start to pile up.
Ylvisaker gives us plenty to love about Tugs and her family. Tugs is just as likely to rescue a cat as she is to give you baking tips: “You might try an extra egg next time. That’s what my mother does, and her cake doesn’t leave as many crumbles,” she tells the mother of her new friend. Tugs’ mother gives her this advice when leaving for a birthday party, “steer clear of hooligans, say thank you. And please. And don’t be the last one to leave.” Certainly lessons we should all learn.
When she’s not writing essays or rescuing cats up trees, she is wondering what the new man about town is cooking up. The stranger in the Panama hat literally walks into the lives of her family and friends to supposedly start a local newspaper. Tugs sniffs at him like three-day-old fish and eventually saves the town from disaster.
Ylvisaker captures this nostalgic time beautifully with her descriptions of making pies for “pie-worthy” events and attending Independence day picnics. She uses words such as rapscallion, patoot and dagnabit that lend authenticity to the dialogue and that make you feel like you’ve been dropped into a time machine.
The Luck of the Buttons is fast-paced, very funny and smart - an utterly charming read! Although this is technically Youth Fiction for 8 to 12 year olds, I found it a welcome respite from the dreary Oregon rain.
The well-meaning but trouble-prone Tugs single-handedly goes about changing the Button bad luck into good luck. First, she makes friends with Aggie, the most popular girl in town who insists Tugs run the three-legged race with her on the 4th of July. Next, with the encouragement of Miss Lucy the librarian, she writes a patriotic essay for the Independence Day contest. Then, she helps out store owner Mr. Pepper and is entered into a raffle to win a Brownie camera. To Pugs’ amazement, blue ribbons and prizes start to pile up.
Ylvisaker gives us plenty to love about Tugs and her family. Tugs is just as likely to rescue a cat as she is to give you baking tips: “You might try an extra egg next time. That’s what my mother does, and her cake doesn’t leave as many crumbles,” she tells the mother of her new friend. Tugs’ mother gives her this advice when leaving for a birthday party, “steer clear of hooligans, say thank you. And please. And don’t be the last one to leave.” Certainly lessons we should all learn.
When she’s not writing essays or rescuing cats up trees, she is wondering what the new man about town is cooking up. The stranger in the Panama hat literally walks into the lives of her family and friends to supposedly start a local newspaper. Tugs sniffs at him like three-day-old fish and eventually saves the town from disaster.
Ylvisaker captures this nostalgic time beautifully with her descriptions of making pies for “pie-worthy” events and attending Independence day picnics. She uses words such as rapscallion, patoot and dagnabit that lend authenticity to the dialogue and that make you feel like you’ve been dropped into a time machine.
The Luck of the Buttons is fast-paced, very funny and smart - an utterly charming read! Although this is technically Youth Fiction for 8 to 12 year olds, I found it a welcome respite from the dreary Oregon rain.
July 13, 2016
This is a very accessible, quick read. I thought, "Oh, no, not another plucky girl in the Depression Era in the middle of the country," but there were several refreshing differences:
1. Tugs has an intact family, that although poor, trusts and supports her
2. There may be stereotypes at first, but they are disproved ("rich" being stuck up, poor being dumb, etc) In fact, several of the character "turns" are among the best features in the book.
3. I would like all students to ask themselves, "Why shouldn't I be the lucky one and have good things happen to me?"
4. The librarian is one of the most respected characters, and she's pretty and dresses well to boot!
5. Some of the characters fight back against negativity, and the part describing the "wonder" of a camera is very well done.
The basic plot even brings back memories of "The Music Man" (swindler, Iowa, pretty librarian) but with a different ending.
One of my favorite quotes: "Tugs had yet to need information that couldn't be found at the library." Teachers could even try some definition "chains" like Tugs creates with a dictionary. The author note explaining how this book was inspired by a movie was interesting, too. That could lead to some great classroom discussion.
This could be a very cute movie. I'd love to see the twins portrayal as comic relief!
I think I will recommend this for our state book awards.(I was torn between a 4 and a 5)
1. Tugs has an intact family, that although poor, trusts and supports her
2. There may be stereotypes at first, but they are disproved ("rich" being stuck up, poor being dumb, etc) In fact, several of the character "turns" are among the best features in the book.
3. I would like all students to ask themselves, "Why shouldn't I be the lucky one and have good things happen to me?"
4. The librarian is one of the most respected characters, and she's pretty and dresses well to boot!
5. Some of the characters fight back against negativity, and the part describing the "wonder" of a camera is very well done.
The basic plot even brings back memories of "The Music Man" (swindler, Iowa, pretty librarian) but with a different ending.
One of my favorite quotes: "Tugs had yet to need information that couldn't be found at the library." Teachers could even try some definition "chains" like Tugs creates with a dictionary. The author note explaining how this book was inspired by a movie was interesting, too. That could lead to some great classroom discussion.
This could be a very cute movie. I'd love to see the twins portrayal as comic relief!
I think I will recommend this for our state book awards.(I was torn between a 4 and a 5)
August 10, 2011
The Button family is not what you'd call lucky. Or talented. Or successful. Or well thought of amongst the town's people. Tugs Button is already following in the grand tradition of Buttons, wearing the same two pairs of overalls repeatedly, having the name of Tugs (and for a girl!), tripping and falling and just generally having exactly the luck of the Buttons.
And then one day, things start to change. For no reason at all, Tugs's luck starts looking up--but will it continue that way? She is after all, a Button. And obviously, it's exactly that sort of thinking that's kept the Buttons down for generations, and so Tugs will have to decide some things, mostly things having to do with her opinion of herself.
I fear that this is exactly the sort of book that adults love for children to read, and that most children don't much care to read. I, however, enjoyed it quite a lot, even if forty pages in I started having Music Man flashbacks.
And then one day, things start to change. For no reason at all, Tugs's luck starts looking up--but will it continue that way? She is after all, a Button. And obviously, it's exactly that sort of thinking that's kept the Buttons down for generations, and so Tugs will have to decide some things, mostly things having to do with her opinion of herself.
I fear that this is exactly the sort of book that adults love for children to read, and that most children don't much care to read. I, however, enjoyed it quite a lot, even if forty pages in I started having Music Man flashbacks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2012
Tugs is 12 in the summer of 1929. Her family is known for its lack of luck. But Tugs luck might be changing- the most popular girl wants to do the 3 legged race with her, she wins a camera, and she seems to be the only one in her town who is interested and capable of solving a mystery. A fun, fast historical fiction book.
July 11, 2011
This was a good historical fiction audiobook with a GREAT reader that would be perfect for family listening.
September 18, 2011
Set in a small Iowa town in 1929. The Buttons are unremarkable and unlucky, but Tug Buttons resists the family label.
September 26, 2024
This short book reminds me of The Music Man where the slick salesman comes to offer a small town something they don't have. The main character is a 6th grader from the "wrong side of the tracks" whose family never expects much from themselves, and is oddly proud of it. Tugs notices things that make her suspicious of the salesman, has a friend in the librarian who befriends and defends her, and makes a good friend in a classmate that changes everything for her. She is elevated to town heroine and realizes she is "lucky" and has many friends there. The last 1/2 of the book is better than the first. The reader ends up rooting for her!
November 25, 2017
It boggles this mind how an author can write such a book and then market it for ages 8-12 (see back cover). I’m sorry, but the over-the-top vocabulary along with 1920s Midwest colloquialisms are far above the developmental appropriateness for a 3rd-6th grader. There is a story here, as predictable as ever, but it seems like the author had an idea for a historical fiction story based on the photograph on the cover of the book and dangnabbit, she stuck with it to write a book. Too bad she has little idea how to write for kids. Pass!
February 1, 2020
I'm actually not a big fan of historical fiction so that's probably why I didn't connect
May 23, 2020
Cute story about an ordinary, but plucky and inquisitive girl who becomes a heroine in her home town
September 8, 2020
A cute quick read!! Would make great additional reading in a unit study about the twenties leading into the Great Depression.
November 20, 2021
Not quite my type of book but I’m sure some people would like it.
August 13, 2023
Delightful!
November 6, 2024
Considering it’s YA, 3 stars
Read
November 9, 2014Ylvisaker, A. (2011). The luck of the Buttons. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Intermediate Chapter Book
In this book we learn about the life and times of a girl named Tugs Button, who lives in a small town in Iowa in 1929. Tugs thinks her whole family is unlucky - especially herself. She breaks things (accidentally) in stores, she falls into mud puddles, she certainly never wins anything. Until one summer, when her luck seems to turn around. She wins an essay contest, the three-legged race, and a new Brownie camera...all in one afternoon! She also a meets a mysterious man who seems to enthrall the whole town...but who seems a bit fishy to Tugs.
The story gives us glimpses into small town Depression-era life - the local newspaper has closed up, the family’s beat-up car is always breaking down, and the highlight of the summer is the town’s Fourth of July picnic. We also see Tugs struggle to decide if luck is something you are born with, or something you make for yourself.
I chose this book because it depicts what life might have been like for my grandparents, who lived in small Iowa towns during the Depression. The characters rang true and the pitfalls that Tugs experiences (trying to make friends, worrying about fitting in, struggling with failure) are as relevant to kids today as they were in 1929. I think this book would especially appeal to kids who enjoy historical fiction, though it has themes that everyone can relate to.
Questions/Activities:
1) In the book, Tugs’ mother tells Tugs that her unusual name comes from the grave of a Civil War soldier - a man she believes to be one of the few Button family members to make a name for himself. It turns out that Tugs’ mother read the stone wrong, and her name is actually based on a mistake. I would ask kids if they know the inspiration for their own names - if they are named after a family member or if their name holds some significant meaning. This would be a good conversation starter for families.
2) Tugs uses the giant dictionary at the public library to look up words she has never heard before. Ask students to use a dictionary (a paper one!) to find a word they are unfamiliar with. Have them write down the definition to share with the class.
3) A turning point for Tugs comes when she wins a new camera - cameras were seen as a luxury by many during the Depression. Tugs spends some time thinking about what to photograph with her precious camera - only 6 pictures on a roll! If you won a brand new camera, what is the first thing you would want to take a picture of and why? If you could only take 6 pictures, what would they be?
4) Tugs meets Harvey Moore, a stranger in town that she thinks is trying to swindle people. She worries that no one will believe her and tries to decide what to do about it. If you met someone you thought was trying to trick other people, who would you go to for help? How would you convince people that you were right?
5) In the Button family, pie is used to mark occasions of bad luck - not happy times. “There were apple pies for fall funerals and custard pies for the measles, mumps and broken bones.” Make up your own recipe for a “bad luck pie” and tell us what bad luck event you would use it to “celebrate.” Are there foods you and/or your family like to eat for comfort when you are feeling bad?
Intermediate Chapter Book
In this book we learn about the life and times of a girl named Tugs Button, who lives in a small town in Iowa in 1929. Tugs thinks her whole family is unlucky - especially herself. She breaks things (accidentally) in stores, she falls into mud puddles, she certainly never wins anything. Until one summer, when her luck seems to turn around. She wins an essay contest, the three-legged race, and a new Brownie camera...all in one afternoon! She also a meets a mysterious man who seems to enthrall the whole town...but who seems a bit fishy to Tugs.
The story gives us glimpses into small town Depression-era life - the local newspaper has closed up, the family’s beat-up car is always breaking down, and the highlight of the summer is the town’s Fourth of July picnic. We also see Tugs struggle to decide if luck is something you are born with, or something you make for yourself.
I chose this book because it depicts what life might have been like for my grandparents, who lived in small Iowa towns during the Depression. The characters rang true and the pitfalls that Tugs experiences (trying to make friends, worrying about fitting in, struggling with failure) are as relevant to kids today as they were in 1929. I think this book would especially appeal to kids who enjoy historical fiction, though it has themes that everyone can relate to.
Questions/Activities:
1) In the book, Tugs’ mother tells Tugs that her unusual name comes from the grave of a Civil War soldier - a man she believes to be one of the few Button family members to make a name for himself. It turns out that Tugs’ mother read the stone wrong, and her name is actually based on a mistake. I would ask kids if they know the inspiration for their own names - if they are named after a family member or if their name holds some significant meaning. This would be a good conversation starter for families.
2) Tugs uses the giant dictionary at the public library to look up words she has never heard before. Ask students to use a dictionary (a paper one!) to find a word they are unfamiliar with. Have them write down the definition to share with the class.
3) A turning point for Tugs comes when she wins a new camera - cameras were seen as a luxury by many during the Depression. Tugs spends some time thinking about what to photograph with her precious camera - only 6 pictures on a roll! If you won a brand new camera, what is the first thing you would want to take a picture of and why? If you could only take 6 pictures, what would they be?
4) Tugs meets Harvey Moore, a stranger in town that she thinks is trying to swindle people. She worries that no one will believe her and tries to decide what to do about it. If you met someone you thought was trying to trick other people, who would you go to for help? How would you convince people that you were right?
5) In the Button family, pie is used to mark occasions of bad luck - not happy times. “There were apple pies for fall funerals and custard pies for the measles, mumps and broken bones.” Make up your own recipe for a “bad luck pie” and tell us what bad luck event you would use it to “celebrate.” Are there foods you and/or your family like to eat for comfort when you are feeling bad?
February 22, 2013
Imagine a bouncy five-year-old boy with a horribly runny nose dropping his books off at the library circulation desk and discovering his nose fits at just the right level to race it across the counter edge. He reminds me of the dwarf, Dopey, except on a sugar high as he deposits a viscous trail of snot down the entire countertop. I thought of this rascal while reading this book especially in the opening scene when hyperactive twelve-year-old Tugs Button wipes her nose on her shirt sleeve and overalls. She can be gross, nice, naive, blunt, cloddish, and smart - just the kind of character I love.
Tug's family does not come from the upper echelons of society in the small town of Goodhue, Iowa. Tugs hangs out with her cousin, Ned, and doesn't have girl friends. She used to be friends with G.O. Lindholm but he has joined the small town gang and is not nice to her any more. When a classmate, Aggie, wants to make friends with Tugs, she begins to think about how she looks and acts and decides to change a few things about herself. "All I need is a bob. Can you cut my hair Mama?" Tug's impulsive, no-nonsense attitude is mirrored in Mother Button who grabs a scissors and cuts off her hair. Mother doesn't take into account Tug's curly hair and when it dries it is way too short, but Tugs doesn't care. She bounds off like a puppy with a new collar. There are many laugh out loud moments in this short historical fiction book.
The Button family is known to be unlucky, but at the 4th of July festival, Tugs not only wins a ribbon at the three-legged race with Aggie, she wins the essay contest, and grand-prize raffle of a Kodak camera. Tugs thinks her luck has changed and she needs to aspire to the possibilities in life. She breaks her camera before the day is out, but not to be discouraged she's determined to fix it. As her confidence builds she pursues her suspicions of the town newcomer, Harvey Moore, who is collecting money from residents to launch a newspaper. The townspeople don't value the opinions of a Button, but Tugs is not one to give up and she tries all the harder to make them listen.
The rapid-fire dialogue suites the Tasmanian devil-like personality of Tugs, but at times I had to go back and reread to figure out who was talking. The first two paragraphs introduce six characters and I wasn't exactly sure who was who. Of course, I have Tug-like personality so I might have been reading too fast. I lost the characters again when the group's car runs out of gas. I goofed Granny with Gabby and Aggie with Aggie's mother, and Mother Button with Mother Goose. Just kidding. There is no Mother Goose, but my brain kept substituting names throughout reading the book... G.O. became B.O. ... Harvey Moore became Harold Hill ...Lucy the librarian was Marian the librarian ... Button was butt-on. (The last one wouldn't have happened except I was reading, "Chicken Cheeks," by Michael Ian Black to per-kindergarteners.) The plot is somewhat predictable but the characters drive this story and Tugs tenacious spirit; plus her imperfect qualities make her funny and fun to read.
Reading level 5.0
Fountas & Pinnell: T
Tug's family does not come from the upper echelons of society in the small town of Goodhue, Iowa. Tugs hangs out with her cousin, Ned, and doesn't have girl friends. She used to be friends with G.O. Lindholm but he has joined the small town gang and is not nice to her any more. When a classmate, Aggie, wants to make friends with Tugs, she begins to think about how she looks and acts and decides to change a few things about herself. "All I need is a bob. Can you cut my hair Mama?" Tug's impulsive, no-nonsense attitude is mirrored in Mother Button who grabs a scissors and cuts off her hair. Mother doesn't take into account Tug's curly hair and when it dries it is way too short, but Tugs doesn't care. She bounds off like a puppy with a new collar. There are many laugh out loud moments in this short historical fiction book.
The Button family is known to be unlucky, but at the 4th of July festival, Tugs not only wins a ribbon at the three-legged race with Aggie, she wins the essay contest, and grand-prize raffle of a Kodak camera. Tugs thinks her luck has changed and she needs to aspire to the possibilities in life. She breaks her camera before the day is out, but not to be discouraged she's determined to fix it. As her confidence builds she pursues her suspicions of the town newcomer, Harvey Moore, who is collecting money from residents to launch a newspaper. The townspeople don't value the opinions of a Button, but Tugs is not one to give up and she tries all the harder to make them listen.
The rapid-fire dialogue suites the Tasmanian devil-like personality of Tugs, but at times I had to go back and reread to figure out who was talking. The first two paragraphs introduce six characters and I wasn't exactly sure who was who. Of course, I have Tug-like personality so I might have been reading too fast. I lost the characters again when the group's car runs out of gas. I goofed Granny with Gabby and Aggie with Aggie's mother, and Mother Button with Mother Goose. Just kidding. There is no Mother Goose, but my brain kept substituting names throughout reading the book... G.O. became B.O. ... Harvey Moore became Harold Hill ...Lucy the librarian was Marian the librarian ... Button was butt-on. (The last one wouldn't have happened except I was reading, "Chicken Cheeks," by Michael Ian Black to per-kindergarteners.) The plot is somewhat predictable but the characters drive this story and Tugs tenacious spirit; plus her imperfect qualities make her funny and fun to read.
Reading level 5.0
Fountas & Pinnell: T
January 12, 2012
As posted on Outside of a Dog:
Plucky, intelligent young girls are hardly a new concept for juvenile literature. We've got our May Amelias, our Anne Shirleys, our Hermione Grangers. So it's hard to write a character like that and make her someone new, someone exciting. This is partially where I felt disappointed with last year's Newbery winner, Moon Over Manifest. Abilene Tucker didn't strike me as someone new or exciting at all. In fact, I felt I'd met characters like her a dozen times over, and it hurt my enjoyment of the book. So taking this into account, I approached Anne Ylvisaker's The Luck of the Buttons with some trepidation. What would this book offer me that others haven't? Would Ylvisaker be able to give me a character that was both original and interesting?
Tugs Button comes from a long line of the unlucky. So unlucky, in fact, the family has a pie-eating coping mechanism. So when lucky things begin to happen to Tugs, like getting invited to a birthday party and winning a raffle, the family doesn't quite know what to do with her. Luckily, Tugs always knows just what to do with herself. She takes her raffle prize, a camera, a Kodak No. 2 Brownie F model, and is determined to make the most of it. Meanwhile, there's a shady character in town, and Tugs seems to be the only one in town who isn't under his spell. Her quick thinking and investigative work just might be in time to save the day, and the town.
It turns out that Tugs Button was exactly the kind of character that I needed, and Ylvisaker did have something new and exciting between her pages. There are shades of other girls we've known and loved (especially fellow tomboy May Amelia), but Tugs is someone interesting on her own merit. The element of luck, her newfound talent for it and her family's lack of it, lends an unexpected element to the proceedings. I loved reading about how the family prepares pies for various misfortunes, and how Tugs finally loses her patience with the brooding, complaining family and speaks her mind. Tugs desire for friendship with the well-to-do Aggie and the girly, cliquey "Mary" girls is something we can all understand, as is her decision not to be "hemmed in by a dress", especially when there are much more exciting goings on.
I didn't love The Luck of the Buttons, but I did enjoy it. It left me feeling pleased I had taken the time to read it, and eager to read more, which is always a good sign. Whether Ylvisaker chooses to continue the adventures of the irrepresible Tugs or branch out with other characters and stories, I'll be anxious to see what she has in store for us.
Plucky, intelligent young girls are hardly a new concept for juvenile literature. We've got our May Amelias, our Anne Shirleys, our Hermione Grangers. So it's hard to write a character like that and make her someone new, someone exciting. This is partially where I felt disappointed with last year's Newbery winner, Moon Over Manifest. Abilene Tucker didn't strike me as someone new or exciting at all. In fact, I felt I'd met characters like her a dozen times over, and it hurt my enjoyment of the book. So taking this into account, I approached Anne Ylvisaker's The Luck of the Buttons with some trepidation. What would this book offer me that others haven't? Would Ylvisaker be able to give me a character that was both original and interesting?
Tugs Button comes from a long line of the unlucky. So unlucky, in fact, the family has a pie-eating coping mechanism. So when lucky things begin to happen to Tugs, like getting invited to a birthday party and winning a raffle, the family doesn't quite know what to do with her. Luckily, Tugs always knows just what to do with herself. She takes her raffle prize, a camera, a Kodak No. 2 Brownie F model, and is determined to make the most of it. Meanwhile, there's a shady character in town, and Tugs seems to be the only one in town who isn't under his spell. Her quick thinking and investigative work just might be in time to save the day, and the town.
It turns out that Tugs Button was exactly the kind of character that I needed, and Ylvisaker did have something new and exciting between her pages. There are shades of other girls we've known and loved (especially fellow tomboy May Amelia), but Tugs is someone interesting on her own merit. The element of luck, her newfound talent for it and her family's lack of it, lends an unexpected element to the proceedings. I loved reading about how the family prepares pies for various misfortunes, and how Tugs finally loses her patience with the brooding, complaining family and speaks her mind. Tugs desire for friendship with the well-to-do Aggie and the girly, cliquey "Mary" girls is something we can all understand, as is her decision not to be "hemmed in by a dress", especially when there are much more exciting goings on.
I didn't love The Luck of the Buttons, but I did enjoy it. It left me feeling pleased I had taken the time to read it, and eager to read more, which is always a good sign. Whether Ylvisaker chooses to continue the adventures of the irrepresible Tugs or branch out with other characters and stories, I'll be anxious to see what she has in store for us.
November 28, 2021
This was a cute book with fun characters. A very easy read.
December 5, 2011
Tugs Button and her family are anything but lucky. This summer though, things start to change for Tugs in the form of a new friendship, lots of winning, and stumbling upon a plot to steal money from her friends and family. This is the start of new things for Tugs, lucky things.
This is such a fun and quick read! Set around 1929, you really get the small Midwest town feel when reading this book. It is not specifically set around history, but it still has that feel to it. Tugs is such a lovable main character that you cannot help but want to keep reading to see what other funny situations she is going to get herself into. She is spunky and fiery and determined to figure out the mystery that she has found herself in. Growing up, Tugs always knew that because she was a Button she wouldn’t be special, but that all changes the summer that she makes friends with Aggie and she really starts to see herself for who she can be. I love how Tugs tells the story of how she got her unusual name which in turn sparks a love for going to her library and looking through the dictionary at any word that sparks her interest. This book will inspire readers and make them smile too.
This would be a fun book for a book club and it would be great to combine it with a photograph workshop. If you were able to get your hands on actual film cameras it would be great to have the tweens experience something other than digital photos. The same goes for classroom reading. Maybe your school even has a dark room for the tweens to develop their own pictures!
Characters: Tugs, Aggie, Ned, Granny, Father Button, Mother Button, G.O. Lindholm, Harvey Moore.
Subjects: Family life, Friendship, Great Depression, Historical fiction, Iowa, Photography, Mystery fiction.
References: Book information and award information retrieved from www.bwibooks.com. Accessed on November 27, 2011.
The Luck of the Buttons. (2011, March 15). Retrieved November 26, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews.
This is such a fun and quick read! Set around 1929, you really get the small Midwest town feel when reading this book. It is not specifically set around history, but it still has that feel to it. Tugs is such a lovable main character that you cannot help but want to keep reading to see what other funny situations she is going to get herself into. She is spunky and fiery and determined to figure out the mystery that she has found herself in. Growing up, Tugs always knew that because she was a Button she wouldn’t be special, but that all changes the summer that she makes friends with Aggie and she really starts to see herself for who she can be. I love how Tugs tells the story of how she got her unusual name which in turn sparks a love for going to her library and looking through the dictionary at any word that sparks her interest. This book will inspire readers and make them smile too.
This would be a fun book for a book club and it would be great to combine it with a photograph workshop. If you were able to get your hands on actual film cameras it would be great to have the tweens experience something other than digital photos. The same goes for classroom reading. Maybe your school even has a dark room for the tweens to develop their own pictures!
Characters: Tugs, Aggie, Ned, Granny, Father Button, Mother Button, G.O. Lindholm, Harvey Moore.
Subjects: Family life, Friendship, Great Depression, Historical fiction, Iowa, Photography, Mystery fiction.
References: Book information and award information retrieved from www.bwibooks.com. Accessed on November 27, 2011.
The Luck of the Buttons. (2011, March 15). Retrieved November 26, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews.
December 6, 2011
Tugs makes for a delightful heroine. Not only is feisty and impulsive, but she is also observant and well-intentioned. Tugs is a character well worth rooting for as she tries to convince her family that one's luck can be altered with effort rather than submitted to reluctantly. Other characters are also easy to relate to. The one I related to the best was, unsurprisingly, Miss Lucy, the librarian, who sees the potential in Tugs, rather than the clumsy tom-boy.
The plot starts off with a bang:
"Tugs Button darted past Zip's Hardware, stumbled over the lunch specials sign at Al and Irene's Luncheonette, and pushed through the door of Ward's Ben Franklin as if the devil himself were chasing her."
Tugs deals with the sorts of things you would expect in a small town of the 1920s, friends, family, expectations, and luck. Can Tugs change the so-called Button Luck? Of course she can, but not without the help of an encouraging librarian, a new friend, and the Thompson Twins (my favorite characters outside of Tugs herself). When Tugs realizes that the town is being conned out of their hard-earned money, she realizes she must do something, Button luck or not. The Luck of the Buttons is a delightful tale of family, friends, and determination.
One of the things that makes a book stand out for me is the strength of the setting. Real or imaginary the setting must be believable with just the right amount of detail. Enough detail that the place can be visualized, while still leaving plenty of room for the reader to make the place his/her own. Ylvisaker does this very well. She integrates her descriptions so well into the story that I didn't really pay attention to how well she did it. Yet, I finished the book feeling that I knew well the small town in Iowa in which the story takes place.
Overall, I think this is a book well worth reading and discussing, simply an enjoyable story however one looks at it. Highly recommended.
The plot starts off with a bang:
"Tugs Button darted past Zip's Hardware, stumbled over the lunch specials sign at Al and Irene's Luncheonette, and pushed through the door of Ward's Ben Franklin as if the devil himself were chasing her."
Tugs deals with the sorts of things you would expect in a small town of the 1920s, friends, family, expectations, and luck. Can Tugs change the so-called Button Luck? Of course she can, but not without the help of an encouraging librarian, a new friend, and the Thompson Twins (my favorite characters outside of Tugs herself). When Tugs realizes that the town is being conned out of their hard-earned money, she realizes she must do something, Button luck or not. The Luck of the Buttons is a delightful tale of family, friends, and determination.
One of the things that makes a book stand out for me is the strength of the setting. Real or imaginary the setting must be believable with just the right amount of detail. Enough detail that the place can be visualized, while still leaving plenty of room for the reader to make the place his/her own. Ylvisaker does this very well. She integrates her descriptions so well into the story that I didn't really pay attention to how well she did it. Yet, I finished the book feeling that I knew well the small town in Iowa in which the story takes place.
Overall, I think this is a book well worth reading and discussing, simply an enjoyable story however one looks at it. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2012
"The Luck of the Buttons," set in 1929 in Iowa, immediately reminded me of the musical, "Music Man." Both stories concern a con man showing up in a small mid-western town, offering the citizens something they can't refuse, and swindling them of their money. Both have happy endings.
I loved everything about "The Luck of the Buttons!" Tugs Buttons, a small-town tomboy, lives simply and in the shadows. Generations of Buttons before her have been unlucky and feel that any sort of showiness is improper. From the moment Tugs meets "Harvey Moore" when her family's car breaks down, she knows that something is not quite right and that there is going to be "trouble in River City." Harvey Moore knows how to appeal to the townspeople's sense of pride, their desire to feel special, and their belief in progress - and is, thus, able to easily win them over when he proposes to start up a daily town newspaper. Since pride and feeling special have never been a part of Tug's world, she picks up on Moore's bluff immediately. There is mystery, action, humor, and history here as Tugs investigates her suspicions.
The protagonist, Tugs, is a quirky, well-meaning, smart, and humble young lady. She gets in trouble a lot but is good and well-intentioned. Her strong and distinct voice make it easy to fall in love with her character. The reader is delighted when she is recognized for her athletic ability, her writing, and her detective skills.
There are many excellent lessons here: the beauty of language, friendship, the value of honesty, and on and on. The size and heft of this book are perfect. I kept imagining it fitting snugly into the hands of a fourth through seventh grader. This is definitely a book to get cozy with. I give this a "76 Trombones" fanfare! Highly recommended!
I loved everything about "The Luck of the Buttons!" Tugs Buttons, a small-town tomboy, lives simply and in the shadows. Generations of Buttons before her have been unlucky and feel that any sort of showiness is improper. From the moment Tugs meets "Harvey Moore" when her family's car breaks down, she knows that something is not quite right and that there is going to be "trouble in River City." Harvey Moore knows how to appeal to the townspeople's sense of pride, their desire to feel special, and their belief in progress - and is, thus, able to easily win them over when he proposes to start up a daily town newspaper. Since pride and feeling special have never been a part of Tug's world, she picks up on Moore's bluff immediately. There is mystery, action, humor, and history here as Tugs investigates her suspicions.
The protagonist, Tugs, is a quirky, well-meaning, smart, and humble young lady. She gets in trouble a lot but is good and well-intentioned. Her strong and distinct voice make it easy to fall in love with her character. The reader is delighted when she is recognized for her athletic ability, her writing, and her detective skills.
There are many excellent lessons here: the beauty of language, friendship, the value of honesty, and on and on. The size and heft of this book are perfect. I kept imagining it fitting snugly into the hands of a fourth through seventh grader. This is definitely a book to get cozy with. I give this a "76 Trombones" fanfare! Highly recommended!
December 16, 2012
I like Tugs Button. She’s her own person. She’s a lover of words and of action. She’s curious about what is happening around her and while she doesn’t have much, she makes the best of it. Tugs is part of a family that gets by – nothing special or fancy. She moves through her small Iowa town without many expectations. After all is mostly the same day in and day out, year after year.
But change is in the air. First there is the man with the Panama hat, Harvey Moore claiming that Goodhue should have its own newspaper. Then Aggie Millhouse notices that she and Tugs are the same height and invites Tugs to be her partner in the Independence Day three-legged race. “The Independence Day three-legged races were the stuff of legend in Goodhue. Children remembered the winning teams the way they remembered who won every Iowa Hawkeye football game. Tugs had been paired with her cousin Ned for the past hundred yeas, and she was resigned to the same fate this year.” If that was not enough “different” Miss Lucy, the librarian had encouraged Tugs to enter the essay contest. Tugs writes about patriotism and progress. She doesn’t think it’s too good, but Miss Lucy says that’s all up to the judges. And then on top of those changes– just for helping Mr. Pepper unpack some boxes in his photo shop, Tugs was given the last few raffle tickets as a thank you. Her name is in the drawing for a brand-new Kodak Brownie. She has a chance.
Independence Day arrives and it seems that the whole town comes to the Green for the celebration and contests. Ribbons and prizes surround the bandstand. Tugs knows something will happen, but will it be different. She is a Button after all and all of Goodhue knows the luck of the Buttons.
But change is in the air. First there is the man with the Panama hat, Harvey Moore claiming that Goodhue should have its own newspaper. Then Aggie Millhouse notices that she and Tugs are the same height and invites Tugs to be her partner in the Independence Day three-legged race. “The Independence Day three-legged races were the stuff of legend in Goodhue. Children remembered the winning teams the way they remembered who won every Iowa Hawkeye football game. Tugs had been paired with her cousin Ned for the past hundred yeas, and she was resigned to the same fate this year.” If that was not enough “different” Miss Lucy, the librarian had encouraged Tugs to enter the essay contest. Tugs writes about patriotism and progress. She doesn’t think it’s too good, but Miss Lucy says that’s all up to the judges. And then on top of those changes– just for helping Mr. Pepper unpack some boxes in his photo shop, Tugs was given the last few raffle tickets as a thank you. Her name is in the drawing for a brand-new Kodak Brownie. She has a chance.
Independence Day arrives and it seems that the whole town comes to the Green for the celebration and contests. Ribbons and prizes surround the bandstand. Tugs knows something will happen, but will it be different. She is a Button after all and all of Goodhue knows the luck of the Buttons.
July 13, 2011
Tugs Button is a buck-toothed, overall clad, accident prone child living in the middle of Iowa in 1929. Not only that, but the entire clan of Buttons is about as unlucky as they come. They have to beware when there's pie on the counter because for some cosmic reason, that always means that calamity has already or is about to strike!
Anne Ylvisaker has woven a simple but charming story, but the real selling point of this book is the quirkiness of the Iowan characters and the real struggles that Tugs experiences as a little girl. We see some of her inner thoughts as she writes a brief essay about America and how the current president (Herbert Hoover) grew up in Iowa and experienced the very same things that she, Tugs Button, was experiencing. She wants to fit in with the wealthier, prettier girls; so she gets her mom to bob her hair and puts on her only dress. But she soon abandons her plan to fit in as she pursues her quest for truth. We experience with her the overwhelming delight of discovering that another little girl, whom she has watched and admired, wishes her to be a close friend above all others. With Tugs' success winning the essay contest and the three-legged race and the raffle for the Kodak Brownie camera.... it seems that the luck of the Buttons is turning, at last.
read my full review here: http://skippingbarefoot.blogspot.com/...
Anne Ylvisaker has woven a simple but charming story, but the real selling point of this book is the quirkiness of the Iowan characters and the real struggles that Tugs experiences as a little girl. We see some of her inner thoughts as she writes a brief essay about America and how the current president (Herbert Hoover) grew up in Iowa and experienced the very same things that she, Tugs Button, was experiencing. She wants to fit in with the wealthier, prettier girls; so she gets her mom to bob her hair and puts on her only dress. But she soon abandons her plan to fit in as she pursues her quest for truth. We experience with her the overwhelming delight of discovering that another little girl, whom she has watched and admired, wishes her to be a close friend above all others. With Tugs' success winning the essay contest and the three-legged race and the raffle for the Kodak Brownie camera.... it seems that the luck of the Buttons is turning, at last.
read my full review here: http://skippingbarefoot.blogspot.com/...
May 1, 2012
I liked this one, a lot. That Tugs, she's something else. Entirely likable from page 1 to page...whatever...last. And that, I have discovered, is a key requirement for me if I'm going to be able to say I enjoyed a book: I must like the protagonist. Wimpy Kid books might be funny, but darn it, I just hate that kid (which is okay, to hate him, since he's fictional and all) and therefore, I am not a fan of that series. And now I think I'm rambling.
Tugs Esther Button comes from one, big, unlucky family. "You're such a Button" is a taunt she hears more than once from local kids (mean ones). She may have crazy, unruly hair and dirty overalls, but that's just because she's so busy enjoying life that she doesn't think about changing those things. She's a happy girl.
When she wins a brand new Kodak Brownie camera, she's even happier, and seeing the world through the viewfinder gives Tugs new perspective. Maybe "unlucky" isn't a sentence she has to serve; maybe "luck" comes from your state of mind, from what you expect of the world and of yourself.
Again, she's just so darn likable. If I'd been a kid in 1929, Tugs and I--oh, Heavens to Mergatroid, I don't need to worry 'bout my grammar with this girl--me & Tugs, we'd be pals.
Tugs Esther Button comes from one, big, unlucky family. "You're such a Button" is a taunt she hears more than once from local kids (mean ones). She may have crazy, unruly hair and dirty overalls, but that's just because she's so busy enjoying life that she doesn't think about changing those things. She's a happy girl.
When she wins a brand new Kodak Brownie camera, she's even happier, and seeing the world through the viewfinder gives Tugs new perspective. Maybe "unlucky" isn't a sentence she has to serve; maybe "luck" comes from your state of mind, from what you expect of the world and of yourself.
Again, she's just so darn likable. If I'd been a kid in 1929, Tugs and I--oh, Heavens to Mergatroid, I don't need to worry 'bout my grammar with this girl--me & Tugs, we'd be pals.
January 2, 2012
Reason for Reading: The time period attracted me.
Set in 1929, small town Iowa, tomboy Tugs Button belongs to the Buttons clan, a family who just naturally expects bad luck and misfortune to come their way, if any luck is to be handed out it won't be handed to any of them because it's rigged, don't ya know. Besides the Buttons enjoy their yearly family reunions where they get together to grumble, complain and go over the good ole' stories of family misfortunes. But Tugs has had enough and has decided she's not going to be unlucky, in fact she openly invites luck to come her way and her family looks at her as if she'd just "declared herself Swedish". As Tugs sets off around town with this new attitude about life she makes a new unlikely friend and when the stranger comes to town Tugs is the one who wonders what he's really up to.
A fun, easy read. This little book is most suitable for the 8 to 10 age range and gives a good look at everyday life for a poor family just before the depression. The story examines both friendship and bullies, how randomly friendship can happen and how a bully can be deflated in the end. The added mystery makes this more than just a slice of life story and while I, an adult, figured out what was up very early on, the story and Tugs' attempts at private investigation should keep young readers entertained. Altogether a quiet, wholesome read.
Set in 1929, small town Iowa, tomboy Tugs Button belongs to the Buttons clan, a family who just naturally expects bad luck and misfortune to come their way, if any luck is to be handed out it won't be handed to any of them because it's rigged, don't ya know. Besides the Buttons enjoy their yearly family reunions where they get together to grumble, complain and go over the good ole' stories of family misfortunes. But Tugs has had enough and has decided she's not going to be unlucky, in fact she openly invites luck to come her way and her family looks at her as if she'd just "declared herself Swedish". As Tugs sets off around town with this new attitude about life she makes a new unlikely friend and when the stranger comes to town Tugs is the one who wonders what he's really up to.
A fun, easy read. This little book is most suitable for the 8 to 10 age range and gives a good look at everyday life for a poor family just before the depression. The story examines both friendship and bullies, how randomly friendship can happen and how a bully can be deflated in the end. The added mystery makes this more than just a slice of life story and while I, an adult, figured out what was up very early on, the story and Tugs' attempts at private investigation should keep young readers entertained. Altogether a quiet, wholesome read.
June 7, 2011
I have two words for this book. “Ridicously Charming”. I listened to it on audio in my car and kept trying to find excuses to drive places just so I can listen to it some more. Tugs Button is a fiesty female character, definitely an underdog. I think librarians, teachers and even parents should pick this up/recommend this to children who feel misunderstood, unheard, unappreciated or generally unlucky. They’ll see part of themselves in Tugs Button. Tugs is an underdog you will want to root for. I think fans of Anne of Green Gables will enjoy this book too. The setting is a couple of decades later in Iowa but has all of that old-fashioned rural charm of the L.M. Montgomery books. I think teachers will love this book because of it’s focus on vocabulary. Tugs learns a lot about herself and the world around her by looking up key words in the dictionary. I thought this was a great element to the book.
I listened to this on audio and it’s read by Laura Hamilton. The actress did a wonderful job with all the voices. I felt like at times Tugs’ voice changed a bit but the narrator would eventually get right on track. And boy did the narrator know how to do funny older voices. They cracked me up! Overall, a very entertaining performance.
I listened to this on audio and it’s read by Laura Hamilton. The actress did a wonderful job with all the voices. I felt like at times Tugs’ voice changed a bit but the narrator would eventually get right on track. And boy did the narrator know how to do funny older voices. They cracked me up! Overall, a very entertaining performance.
August 28, 2011
The beginning of this book reminded me of the feeling of the Music Man (a favorite musical of mine). Harvey Moore arrives in a small town in Iowa bringing the promise of a town newspaper, the Goodhue Progress.
"Yes, a fellow can come to this town with an idea for progress. An idea that will give your dear children a chance at living in a town of substance. A wild idea? Maybe. A bold idea? Probably. An idea that citizens of other towns have not been brave enough to believe in? Absolutely.
Did the people of Goodhue, Iowa, snuff out that idea out? No! The People of this town are opening their minds and pocketbooks and saying yes to progress." pg 89
(You've got trouble, right here in River City... that's right you've got trouble...)
The only resident who questions Haryey Moore's charm is Tugs Button, a young girl who has never been lucky until lately: making a popular new friend and winning a brownie camera in a raffle. Tugs' luck and questioning, observant nature turn out to be exactly what the town of Goodhue needs.
The town library and the fabulous librarian Miss Lucy play a wonderful part in Tugs' story.
"Tugs had yet to need information that couldn't be found at the library." pg 117
"Yes, a fellow can come to this town with an idea for progress. An idea that will give your dear children a chance at living in a town of substance. A wild idea? Maybe. A bold idea? Probably. An idea that citizens of other towns have not been brave enough to believe in? Absolutely.
Did the people of Goodhue, Iowa, snuff out that idea out? No! The People of this town are opening their minds and pocketbooks and saying yes to progress." pg 89
(You've got trouble, right here in River City... that's right you've got trouble...)
The only resident who questions Haryey Moore's charm is Tugs Button, a young girl who has never been lucky until lately: making a popular new friend and winning a brownie camera in a raffle. Tugs' luck and questioning, observant nature turn out to be exactly what the town of Goodhue needs.
The town library and the fabulous librarian Miss Lucy play a wonderful part in Tugs' story.
"Tugs had yet to need information that couldn't be found at the library." pg 117
October 22, 2011
This is a quiet but quirky book, about 4th grade reading level, but some of the narrative will go over the heads of some 4th grade readers because some of the concepts are difficult.
Set in a small Iowa town in 1929, the main character, Tugs Button, was growing up in the shadow of her family's reputation for lucklessness. Some of it was their own fault but done with good intentions as when Tugs was told she shouldn't raise her hand and speak up in class, even when she knew the answer. Some was the result of clumsiness and envy. Some just happened. Tugs had long accepted "just being a Button" although her favorite pastime, going to the library and looking up words in the Oxford English Dictionary, hardly represented common Button interests.
And then Tugs wins both an essay contest and a raffle in which she receives a new Brownie camera and Tugs starts believing she can shine after all. Add to Tugs' newfound self worth a mysterious stranger in town, some local bullies, and her own family's disinterest and Tugs has a lot to sort out. From then on we see how Tugs proceeds and what she does to overcome the luck of the Buttons as well solve the puzzle of the mysterious stranger.
Set in a small Iowa town in 1929, the main character, Tugs Button, was growing up in the shadow of her family's reputation for lucklessness. Some of it was their own fault but done with good intentions as when Tugs was told she shouldn't raise her hand and speak up in class, even when she knew the answer. Some was the result of clumsiness and envy. Some just happened. Tugs had long accepted "just being a Button" although her favorite pastime, going to the library and looking up words in the Oxford English Dictionary, hardly represented common Button interests.
And then Tugs wins both an essay contest and a raffle in which she receives a new Brownie camera and Tugs starts believing she can shine after all. Add to Tugs' newfound self worth a mysterious stranger in town, some local bullies, and her own family's disinterest and Tugs has a lot to sort out. From then on we see how Tugs proceeds and what she does to overcome the luck of the Buttons as well solve the puzzle of the mysterious stranger.
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