New Middle-Grade Novel 'The Button Box' Celebrates Muslim-Jewish Friendship
Two accomplished authors, Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams, have joined forces to create 'The Button Box', a captivating middle-grade novel that blends history, culture, and magical adventure.
Hodder, formerly an archaeologist and art historian, brings her extensive knowledge of history, particularly the classical era, to the story. Her passion for historical details and experience in restoring antiquities enriches the narrative. Gilani-Williams, a former English teacher and educational consultant, lends her expertise in multilingual education and cultural exchange to the book. She has previously written an interfaith picture book, 'Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam'.
The Button Box follows Ava, a Sephardic Jewish girl, and her Muslim cousin Nadeem as they face religious bullying at school. Hodder, a Sephardic Jew and descendant of Holocaust survivors, felt the need for a Muslim main character, leading to Gilani-Williams' involvement. The girls discover a magical button at their grandmother's home that transports them back in time to ancient Morocco during the convivencia period, when Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together peacefully. The authors aim to educate young readers about Jewish and Muslim beliefs and provide basic facts in the back of the book. Hodder, drawing from her family background, focuses on Sephardic Jewish culture and includes aspects like food and old sayings in the story.
The Button Box, a new middle-grade novel by Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams, celebrates a Muslim-Jewish friendship through a time-travel adventure set against the backdrop of medieval Spain's peaceful convivencia period. The authors, with their diverse backgrounds and expertise, aim to educate and inspire young readers about cultural understanding and tolerance.
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