Texas Bluebonnet Award 2015­2016 Master List with Annotations Auxier, Jonathan. 2014. The Night Gardener. New York: Abrams / Amulet Books. Hardcover: 9781419711442, Paperback: 9781419715310, eBook: 9781613126608. “Don’t go through the green door!” Nothing is what it seems in this Victorian ghost story. Two Potato Famine orphans reluctantly take jobs at a decrepit English manor. What secrets are within? More than your average bone­chiller, this mesmerizing tale stands as a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. Brown, Don. 2013. The Great American Dust Bowl. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Hardcover: 9780547815503, eBook: 9780544307995. You will be “blown away” by this graphic novel that portrays one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in American history. Illustrations capture the widespread devastation and raw emotion, while making this event relevant to children. Don Brown provides historical background and an extensive bibliography. Bryant, Jen. 2014. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Hardcover: 9780802853851. This book is... well... how do I explain it...if only I had a thesaurus! The Right Word is vivid, biographical, and fascinating, Lush illustrations depict a smattering of the entire universe, from atoms to zoology. Fans of list­making and word gathering will adore Roget's journey through life and the written word. Cammuso, Frank. 2013. The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Book One: Spelling Trouble. New York: Abrams / Amulet Books. Hardcover: 9781419708039, Paperback: 9781419708046 The school needs a new spelling bee champion; too bad that Salem's spells sometimes involve flying vacuum cleaners and T­Rex chases. Salem's new animal companion, Whammy the cat, may not like trouble or flying, but it's his mission to train Salem in magic. Mayhem and mishaps follow this silly sorcerer everywhere she goes. This wacky graphic novel with plenty of humor and wordplay will have you laughing out loud. Cavanaugh, Nancy J. 2014. Always, Abigail. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. Hardcover: 9781402293030, eBook: 9781402293047, eBook: 9781402293054 Abigail’s adventure into sixth grade is thrown for a loop when her two best friends are assigned a different homeroom class, nd she is partnered with the most unpopular girl at school for her English assignment. As the year progresses, Abigail learns an important lesson on friendship, tolerance, and resisting peer pressure. Abigail’s authentic voice, inner conflict, and creative writing style depict a realistic portrayal of middle grade issues that will resonate with all readers. Daly, Cathleen. 2014. Emily’s Blue Period. Illustrated by Lisa Brown. New York: Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan. Hardcover: 9781596434691. Feeling a little blue? Family a little mixed up? This is Emily's life when her father moves out and divorce may become her reality. In Emily's Blue Period, Emily turns to her love of painting, and works through her changing emotions with Picasso’s help. Young readers will be able to empathize and find hope in Emily's changing palette. de los Santos, Marisa and David Teague. 2014. Saving Lucas Biggs. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Hardcover: 9780062274625, Paperback: 9780062274632, Audio CD: 9781483003634. Two years, two life changing events. In Saving Lucas Biggs, it's 2014 for Margaret and 1938 for Josh. One person ties Margaret’s and Josh’s lives together, but can they work together to save him? Alternating points of view, authentic era voices, and a sprinkle of time travel provide a familiar background for young Texas readers. Eddleman, Peggy. 2013. Sky Jumpers. New York: Random House BFYR. Hardcover: 9780307981271, Hardcover lib bdg: 9780307981288, Trade Paperback: 9780307981301, eBook: 9780307981295. Bomb’s Breath, invisible but deadly, has thickened the air around a post­World War III town, protecting it from bandits. A community focused on non­electric technology requires everyone four and older to invent something once a year. Hope has never been good at inventing, but she knows she’s good at something. You will hold your breath with Hope as she bravely jumps into the Bombs Breath and flies to save her town in this action­packed, dystopian adventure. Egan, Kate; with Magician Mike Lane. 2014. The Vanishing Coin. Illustrated by Eric Wight. New York: Feiwel and Friends Book / Macmillan. Hardcover: 9781250029140, Paperback: 9781250040435, eBook: 9781250058874. The school year has just begun and Mike is already in the principal’s office. His parents won’t let him play soccer until things at school improve. Mike and his new friend Nora discover a secret shop and an eccentric magician, who introduces Mike to magic. Can Mike learn magic and finally be good at something? Magic tricks included! Ehlert, Lois. 2014. The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life. New York: Beach Lane Books / Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. Hardcover: 9781442435711, eBook: 9781442435728. Much­celebrated author and illustrator Lois Ehlert has created art for thirty five picture books! But what is her creative process? In this retrospective memoir, Ehlert shows what inspired her art and how she has grown over time. Scraps invites a generation of readers to reminisce through her body of work Engle, Margarita. 2013. Mountain Dog. Illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov. New York: Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan. Hardcover: 9780805095166, Paperback: 9781250044242, eBook: 9780805098938. Imagine living with an uncle you’ve never even met. This is Tony’s reality – he’s overwhelmed with his new school and home, but finds a common bond through search and rescue missions, adventuring high into the mountains with his canine friend, Gabe. Told in alternating voices, this poignant novel in verse reveals how a relationship between a boy and a dog – and caring friends and family – can heal a broken spirit. Gandhi, Arun and Bethany Hegedus. 2014. Grandfather Gandhi. Illustrated by Evan Turk. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. Hardcover: 9781442423657, eBook: 9781442450820. Arun Gandhi's grandfather is Mahatma Gandhi, known the world over for his non­violent activism. But when Arun was 12 years old, while visiting his grandfather, he loses his temper and can't let go of his anger. He knows he has greatly disappointed his grandfather. Or has he? With evocative mixed­media illustrations, Mahatma Gandhi is brought lovingly to life by his grandson. Healy, Christopher. 2012. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. New York: Walden Pond Press / HarperCollins Publishers. Hardcover: 9780062117434, Paperback: 9780062117458, eBook: 9780062117441. What happens after... “happily ever after?” The Four Prince Charmings – from Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel – thought saving the princesses was the hard part. But when their princesses throw them out, the four princes uncover a dastardly plot that endangers not just one kingdom, but all of them. Will they be able to put aside their differences and save the kingdom once more? Brimming with kid appeal and quirky characters, this fractured fairy tale is sure to enchant all readers. Hill, Laban Carrick. 2013. When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop. Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. New York: Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan. Hardcover: 9781596435407. Tired of hip hop getting a bad rap? Check out When the Beat Was Born. Hill's energetic, multicultural picture book is nonfiction gold ­ a positive spin on the popular, American­grown art form that starts at the very beginning. Tune in for lots of straightforward information with its own hip beat. Philbrick, Rodman. 2014. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina. New York: The Blue Sky Press / Scholastic. Hardcover: 9780545342384, Audiobook: 9780545660914, eBook: 9780545633475. What happens when you fly to New Orleans to meet your Grandma for the first time and Hurricane Katrina hits town? This is the story of Zane and his little dog Bandy in the uncertainty of the hurricane and the chaos of its aftermath. Standout parts of this book include the relationship between a boy and his pet, the dialect of the Lower Ninth Ward, and Katrina facts, ushering in a new era of historical fiction. Schanen, Adriana Brad. 2014. Quinny & Hopper. Illustrated by Greg Swearingen. New York: Disney­Hyperion. Hardcover: 9781423178293. The only thing talkative Quinny and reserved Hopper have in common is a killer zebra­chicken. Quinny is a new girl in town, with a zest for life and a big personality, just hoping to make her first friend. With differing points of view and distinctive voices, this great read­aloud will show that unlikely pairs can be friends in third grade. Searles, Rachel. 2014. The Lost Planet. New York: Feiwel and Friends Book / Macmillan. Hardcover: 9781250038791, Paperback: 9781250056887, eBook: 9781466856950. When Chase wakes up on a strange planet with no memory of who he is, he never expected to be hunted across the galaxy. On the run with surly Parker, the boy who found him, and the android Mina, Chase finds himself entangled in a plot that stretches across planets and starships, wondering who he is and why he can do things no one else can. Fast­paced, action­driven, and full of aliens and unfamiliar worlds, The Lost Planet is a space opera for the younger generation. Star Wars and Star Trek fans rejoice! Singer, Marilyn. 2013. Rutherford B., Who Was He?: Poems About Our Presidents. Illustrated by John Hendrix. New York: Disney­Hyperion. Hardcover: 9781423171003. The United States Presidents are forty­three different men with forty­three different ideas, but all have one thing in common ­ leading our country. This unique book offers a mashup of nonfiction and poetry with plenty of humor. Readers will delight in learning strange and unusual facts about these leaders, from those who rebelled to those who got expelled. Many have passed on but will live forever, and those who are still with us will never go away. Tonatiuh, Duncan. 2014. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation. New York: Abrams / Abrams Books for Young Readers. Hardcover: 9781419710544, Audio: 9781629238562. "Go back to the Mexican school! You don't belong here!" a young white boy yells at little Sylvia Mendez. Duncan Tonatiuh relates her family's struggle for equal education, resulting in a landmark court case that desegregated California schools seven years before Brown vs the Board of Education. Ancient Mixtecan codices inspired Tonatiuh's illustrations, which aptly represent this forgotten chapter of American history. Turnage, Sheila. 2014. The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing. New York: Kathy Dawson Books / Penguin Group. Hardcover: 9780803736719, eBook: 9781101593868. Who would have thought interviewing a ghost could save the day? With help from her fellow desperado detectives, the hilarious Mo hopes to solve a mystery and get an A on her social studies assignment. Laugh out loud as you weave through the mystery, a cast of kooky characters, and a touch of southern hospitality.