The Memory String (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Resentful of her new stepmother, Laura clings to a family heirloom, a "memory string" of buttons taken from special garments. As her father and her stepmother, Jane, paint the porch, Laura sits apart and fingers each button, loudly telling her cat about her great-grandmother's first "grown-up dress," her father's Gulf War service uniform and, last, the nightgown her mother was wearing when she died. Bunting's (Smoky Night) prose is as sure-footed as ever, but is much encumbered here by a contrived plot that has Laura losing the buttons and the family coming together in the search for them. A rapprochement between Laura and Jane, who finds the final missing button, is all but inevitable. Even Rand's (Baby in a Basket) light-dappled watercolors can't rescue the story from its didactic intent; this is likelier to engage adults looking for books that address a particular subject (such as stepparenting) than children. Ages 5-8. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Within hearing of her new stepmother, Laura meanly recounts to her disinterested cat what each button on her memory string means. There's one from her great-grandmother's first grown-up dress, another from her mother's wedding dress, and one from the nightgown the woman was wearing when she died three years ago. When the impatient feline jumps away, breaking the string, the buttons fly everywhere. Laura's father and Jane help find all but one of them, but the girl is inconsolable. In the night, she hears them debating about whether to cut an identical button from her father's military uniform. Jane insists, "Laura would rather have that button missing than have a replacement-It's like a mother. No substitute allowed." She finds the lost item with a flashlight and she puts it on the porch where Laura can see it without being offended by the finder. However, in the morning the child has had a change of heart and asks Jane's help in restringing the beads. Rand's oversized, light-dappled watercolor pictures show the love and loyalty between the father and his new wife and their love for the prickly and still-grieving Laura. Bunting trusts readers to interpret behavior and understand complex emotions without her having to provide a moral or dramatic ending. Instead, the story offers a hopeful beginning and invites readers to think about ways to remember family history-including making one's own button memory string.
Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395861462
• ISBN-13: 978-0395861462
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #145,157 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories to hang onto, January 9, 2002

By A Customer

Laura is determined not to be caught talking to herself, so she grabs her not-so-pleased cat and recites the story of her buttons. Each button holds a memory from the past. Remembering these stories keeps her mother alive and close in Laura's mind. Laura uses her buttons as a defense against her changing world, but it just may be the buttons that bring the healing she needs. A great book to have on hand for children dealing with death, loss, divorce, and remarriage.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoy this author!, March 7, 2006

By	Diane F. Alloway - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think that it speaks to how difficult it is for all of us to accept new situations and how difficult it is to lose someone that we love. One of this girl's prize possessions is her memory string and as the story unfolds around it, we get to see her learn to accept the new turns her life has taken. I found it fascinating to go and research button charm strings of the past after reading this book and then help my daughters to create memory strings of their own. The illustrations are beautiful as well.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Memory String, September 5, 2000

By A Customer

This book was wonderful for two reasons. I collect buttons and I know how special certain buttons are to me because of who they belonged to. Also, I thought the bridge of buttons that brought together step-mother and girl was a big surprise to the reader. For someone who loves buttons, this story is very special. This author understands a button collector.