Texas Bluebonnet Award
THE TEXAS BLUEBONNET COMMITTEE AND THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION SPONSOR
THE TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD READING LIST FOR GRADES 3-6
SOLELY TO ENCOURAGE FREE VOLUNTARY READING.
Aguirre, Jorge. 2012. GiantsBeware! Illustratedby Rafael Rosado. New York:
Beware, the baby feet eating giant! Our spunky heroine Claudette takesher
baking‐loving brother and best friend Marie on a journey to slay thegiant. Will the villagers get to them in time? Find out in this action‐packedgraphic novel debut!
Applegate, Katherine. 2012. The Oneand Only Ivan. Illustratedby Patricia Castelao. New York: Harper.
The Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade is home to a mangy group ofperforming animals which includes friends Ivan the gorilla, Stella the elephantand a stray dog, Bob. They are soon joined by Ruby, a baby elephant who isfrightened and confused, after being torn away from her elephant family. Ivanis philosophical and expresses his view of life through art, which is sold bythe owner of the mall. The financial situation causes both fame and the changeswhich accompany notoriety.
Burg, Shana. 2012. Laughwith the Moon. New York:Random House.
Clare’s father has dragged her to Malawi where he is working as adoctor in a hospital. She soon learns the reality of life in the rural village,and it is nothing like her teenage existence in the United States. Texan ShanaBurg chronicles Clare’s mindset, as she navigates the ups and downs of being akid in this African nation.
Chin, Jason. 2011. CoralReefs. New York: RoaringBrook Press.
Imagine opening a book and suddenly finding the room filled with waterand animals from the ocean. Take a journey to the coral reefs in thisinformative story that mixes reality with fantasy.
Clifton, Lutricia. 2012. FreakyFast Frankie Joe. New York:Holiday House.
Frankie Joe and his mom live a laid back life in Texas, but a stringof bad choices lands his mom in jail, and Frankie Joe finds himself living inIllinois with the dad and stepfamily he never knew he had. Trying to make thebest of a difficult situation, he uses his bicycle to deliver pizza in thehopes of earning enough money to bike back home to Texas. Through an unusual groupof characters, Frankie Joe learns the meaning of responsibility, family and thejoy of finding a place where you belong.
Fern, Tracey. 2012. Barnum’sBones. Illustrated byBoris Kulikov. New York: Margaret Ferguson Books / Farrar Straus Giroux.
Even as a young boy, Barnum Brown collected rocks and fossils; as hegrew so did his passion, which eventually led to the discovery of the infamousdinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex. With larger‐than‐life illustrations, readers willfollow Barnum’s expeditions through this lively biography.
Grandits, John. 2011. 10Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus. Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin.Boston: Clarion Books.
Kyle’s older brother is quite eager to share his “advice” about therules of conduct for survival on the school bus. Problem is, the advice aboutseat location, bullies, girls, and driver, terrifies Kyle! The twists and turnsof his school bus adventure will delight all!
Harris, R.P. 2012. Tua andthe Elephant.Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
First‐time author R.P. Harris introduces the reader to Tua, aten‐year‐old girl who lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. On a visit to the town’scolorful night market, she encounters a beautiful elephant. Unfortunately, twoscurrilous mahouts own the mistreated animal. So begins Tua’s adventurousjourney through the Thai countryside in hopes of getting the animal to theelephant refuge!
Kalman, Maira. 2012. Lookingat Lincoln. New York:Nancy Paulsen Books.
Maira Kalman’s bright illustrations and intriguing story create aunique portrait of our 16th president. This fresh perspective onAbraham Lincoln is filled with unusual facts as well as personal musings.
Lorenzi, Natalie Dias. 2012. Flyingthe Dragon. WatertownMA: Charlesbridge.
When Sky’s relatives from Japan suddenly move to the United States,Skye and her cousin Hiroshi question where they belong. Can they find commonground by learning each other’s languages and sharing their grandfather’spassion for kite flying battles? First‐time author, Natalie Dias Lorenzi willleave readers feeling satisfied and anxiously awaiting her next novel.
MacLachlan, Patricia. 2011. Waitingfor the Magic.Illustrated by Amy June Bates. New York: Atheneum Books.
On the morning Papa left, Mama decided to take Elinor and Will to getthe dog Papa had never wanted. At the animal shelter, they found four verycompatible canines, and to avoid deciding on just one, Mama declared they wouldadopt all four, plus a cat. Surprisingly, all five animals talk, andfour‐year‐old Elinor can hear them. So, starts the magic!
Mlynowski, Sarah. 2012. WhateverAfter: Fairest of All. New York:Scholastic. Trade:
Once upon a time, life for a brother and sister gets turned upsidedown when the magic mirror in their basement
transports them to a magical land filled with strangely familiarcharacters. A girl with fair skin and red lips, a poisoned apple and evil stepmotherstand in their way to make things right. After that, will they ever get home?
Neri, G. 2011. Ghetto Cowboy. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson.Summerville, MA: Candlewick. Trade:
Frustrated by his bad choices, Cole’s mom drives through the nightfrom Detroit to Philadelphia, to relinquish the
parenting of Cole to Harper, the father Cole has never known. Harperis the legendary hero of the historic Philadelphia stables! This story mixesmodern urban life with traditional cowboy values of hard work and doing theright thing.
Palacio, R.J. 2012. Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Trade
Born with a severe facial deformity, Auggie’s life has consisted of anendless series of surgeries, while being home schooled by his mother. For thefirst time in his life, he is going to attend the local school as a fifthgrader. Author R.J. Palacio’s first novel is an uplifting, powerful, realisticread, and you will be cheering for Auggie all the way!
Potter, Ellen. 2012. TheHumming Room. New York:Feiwel and Friends. Trade:
Mystery, ghosts, gardens, oh my! Twelve year old Roo Fanshaw’sspecialty is hiding. After being sent to live with an
eccentric uncle she never knew in an uninhabited mansion on Cough RockIsland. What does she discover in the mansion and what are the strange noisesshe hears? This new mystery is loosely‐based on the classic book TheSecret Garden.
Scattergood, Augusta. 2012. GloryBe. New York:Scholastic. Hardcover:
What if you couldn’t go to the neighborhood pool because of the colorof your skin? Augusta Scattergood’s debut novel is a Southern‐inspired storyset in 1964. In this moving story we follow Glory through a memorable summer offriendships, sisterly love, racial tension, and her fight for equality.
Shannon, David. 2012. Jangles:a BIG Fish Story. New York:The Blue Sky Press.
“I am more than a fish. I am a storyteller and a story.” –Jangles.Tall tales of the biggest fish ever caught are centuries old. David Shannon hascreated a colorful tale from the fish’s point of view. Readers will be hookedby Shannon’s lively illustrations and exaggerated text.
Sherry, Maureen. 2010. WallsWithin Walls.Illustrated by Adam Stower. New York: Katherine Tegen. Trade:
In her debut novel, Maureen Sherry takes us on an adventure throughManhattan. The Smithfork family moves into an old apartment and find themselvessolving a mystery with clues all around them. Who can they trust? How do theyread the clues built into their apartment to find the treasure before it’s toolate?
Sweet, Melissa. 2011.Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
As a child, Tony Sarg loved working with things that moved, likemarionettes. He used this passion to design incredible window displays and theMacy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His invention, air‐filled rubber floats, partpuppet and part balloon, are now known the world over, delighting children andadults alike. Masterful collage and found object illustrations make this a bookto remember.
Varon, Sara. 2011. BakeSale. New York: FirstSecond. Hardcover: Cupcake happens to be an actual cupcake who plays drums andowns a bakery. He also is saving for his dream vacation to
Turkey, to meet his idol, Turkish Delight, the chef. This fun graphicnovel includes recipes to bake your own desserts. Kidswill eat up thisdelectable treat!
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