The Button War, by Avi

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed an Avi book, but this one came out late last year, I believe, and a few kids have checked it out and liked it, and the reviews for it have been good, so I thought I'd take a break from reading OBOB books and dive back into a good Avi story. Avi has been writing books for teens and young adults for a very long time. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak once at an event in Portland, and although he was perhaps the least engaging author I have ever listened to, it was clear that he is incredibly smart, and if you've ever read his books, talented as well.

The Button War takes place in Poland at the start of World War 1. A small group of small village boys decide they are going to compete against one another collecting buttons from the uniforms of the occupying officers in their village. The soldiers change throughout the story, from German to Russian to English to French. This contest is the surface of the story. The depth of this story comes from the deep, and I'll say dark, undercurrent of the realities of war on everyday people, kids and adults, and how brutal is really is, how destructive and painful. I know this all sounds very heavy, and this book, even though it's short and quick to read, is one of the darkest and heaviest books I've ever read. One back cover review compares it to Slaughterhouse Five, an adult book by author Kurt Vonnegut, and to Lord of the Flies, a teen book but equally dark and disturbing.

Avi is an exceptional writer, and The Button War is really, really good. But not in the way other good books are good...this one is deep, heavy, and will stay in your heart and brain for a long time after you've finished reading. You've been warned. 4.5 paws!