Button, Button, Who Has the Button
Third grade students are reading the book The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. In The Friendship War, sixth grader Grace’s relationship with her family and her best friend, Ellie is changing. Over the course of the book, Grace learns a lot about the meaning of friendship and the value of a good friend.
The students learn about school fads and how they catch on quickly. The students are familiar with these fads; fidget spinners, slime, and now buttons. But are they always a good thing? In the book the button fad threatens to break up Grace and Ellie’s friendship after they have been friends for years. Can their friendship be saved?
Andrew Clements said his inspiration for the book came from being a teacher where he saw trends come and go, but some things stay the same.
He said, “There are not many things as valuable as friendship. Who are your friends, why are they your friends, and what is really important to you?”
Students enjoyed looking at Mrs. Shinn’s button collection. Before finishing the book students will be making a button box to take home and start their own button collection.
