The Button War

Patryk and his friends spend their days talking, laughing, and daring each other to do stupid things.  Jurek is the unofficial leader of the group mostly because everyone is afraid of him.  Their small village in Poland is occupied by Russian troops, and he invents a game.  The person who can get the best button becomes the button king.  The others will have to bow down to him.

Patryk doesn't want Jurek to win.  It would rankle his pride, but he's also nervous about how the boy would wield his power.  They steal buttons from Russian uniforms, and Patryk thinks that will be the end, but Jurek isn't satisfied.

When a German plane drops bombs on the village, everything changes.  Soon the Russians are marching out, and the Germans are marching in.  Patryk thinks the game should be over, but Jurek sees fresh targets.

As the war in their tiny village escalates, Patrick becomes increasingly anxious, and Jurek grows even hungrier for buttons and power.  Jurek wants to be the king, but what power do you really have when you are surrounded by death and destruction?

Avi's new book is a disturbing tale of power and corruption set against the backdrop of WWI in a small Polish village.  It is a painful study in the ability of a charismatic leader to assign value to mundane objects and pursue power at any cost.  This book reads like a fable, and is a powerful if uncomfortable read.  Proceed with caution; there are several disturbing events in this book.