Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominees
ESD THIRD AND FOURTH GRADES
An Optional Reading Incentive Program
There are 20 books on the 2013-2014 Texas Bluebonnet list of nominees. In January
2014, all 3rd and 4th graders who have read at least 5 of the nominees are eligible to vote
for their favorite book in the state-wide poll. The Texas Library Association sponsors this
*Arnosky,inJim.
Thunder
Birds: Nature’s
Predators.
[R.L. 5.8, gr. 1-4]
program
order
to encourage
voluntaryFlying
reading,
and to expose
students to a variety of
genres (fiction, biography, poetry, history, etc.) In addition to this activity, ESD sponsors
*Cardillo,
Margaret.incentive
Just Being
Audrey.
[R.L. 4.4,
gr. 1-4] the Texas Bluebonnet
our
own reading
award
program
featuring
nominees. Students may begin this program over the summer.
*Deedy, Carmenare:
Agra. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale. [R.L. 5.2, gr. 3-6]
Requirements
*Durango,1)
Julia.
Under
the Mambo
Moon. read)
[R.L. ten
3.8, (10)
gr. 3-6]
Read
(or listen
to someone
of the nominated books on the
following list of Bluebonnet nominees. Please note that the list includes
approximate
level the
equivalent”
readinggr.level
*Fleming, Candace.
Clever“grade
Jack Takes
Cake. [R.L.3.5,
1-4] [R.L.= Reading Level]
and recommended grade levels according to interest. There are a few books
which
are[R.L.
more
appropriate
for Middle School students; this is
*Hatke, Ben. Zita
theI believe
Spacegirl.
3.8,
gr. 3-6]
because of more mature content [remember that the Texas Bluebonnet
program
designed
for3.9,
students
*Jonell, Lynne.
HamsterisMagic
. [R.L.
gr. 3-6]in grades 3-6.] [Please note: students
must read books from this list for the 2013-2014 school year, the 2014listGordon
will be released
in January
2014,
so Pirates.
don’t be[R.L.
confused
you see
Kennedy, Kim.2015
Misty
and the Mystery
of the
Ghost
5.2, gr.if3-6]
different books in the bookstores or public library at that time. We will only
count books on this list for the award.
Lupica, Mike. Hero. [R.L. 4.6 gr. 5-8]
2) Using the form attached to this packet, write a short report (at least one
paragraph) on the book. Be sure to include a brief summary (main
characters and events) in your own words (i.e. not copied from the back
*Ramsey, Calvin
A.. ofRuth
theasGreen
Book.
[R.L.
4.6, gr. 3-6]
cover
the and
book)
well as
a few
sentences
stating your opinion of the
book (e.g. your favorite part, whether you recommend this book to others, or
Selznick, Brian.
[R.L. 4.6,but
gr. please
5-8]
anyWonderstruck.
appropriate criticism,
include specific reasons for your
opinion.) Reports may be hand-written or typed, but the reports must be in
Smith, Clete Barrett.
Aliens
on Vacation[R.L.
gr.the
3-6]official form, but as long as all the
your own
words!
We prefer you4.7,
use
information asked for on the form is included, you may use your own format.
McElligott, Matthew. Benjamin Franklinstein Lives!. [R.L. 4.4, gr. 3-6]
*Sternberg, Julie. Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. [R.L 3.1, gr. 3-6]
3) Turn in each report to your classroom teacher. Reports finished during the
summer
mayFair.
be held
*Swaim, Jessica.
Scarum
[R.L.and
3.2, turned
gr. 3-6] in when school begins in the fall. Be sure
to include your first and last name and your teacher’s name in the spaces
provided.
It is a good
ideaHistory
to keepofathe
copy
your[R.L.
reports.
Deadline:
May
*Sylver, Adrienne
Hot Diggity
Dog: the
HotofDog.
4.8, gr.
1-4]
5, 2014.
*Taback, Simms. Postcards from Camp. [R.L. 3.4, gr. 3-6]
4) Successful completion leads to recognition during the May 2014 Honors
Assembly
Questions? Contact Mrs. Tollefson tollefsonb@esdallas.org
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Texas Bluebonnet Award Annotated 2013-2014 Master List
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. WWW.TXLA.ORG/TBA
This list has been reprinted for the use of ESD 3rd and 4th graders to use for an ESD incentive reading program. Please
note that we have added the “grade level equivalent” reading level, and the age appropriate interest level for each title.
Note that some books are more appropriate for middle school readers due to intense subject matter. Parents may wish to
preview these books before giving them to their children. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Tollefson
[tollefsonb@esdallas.org]
An asterisk (*) indicates the title is available for download as a book or audio book through the ESD Digital Overdrive Collection
Aguirre, Jorge. 2012. Giants Beware! Illustrated by Rafael Rosado.
New York: First Second. [Reading Level 2.6, Interest Level gr. 3-6]
Beware, the baby feet eating giant! Our spunky heroine Claudette takes her baking‐loving brother and best friend Marie on a journey
to slay the giant. Will the villagers get to them in time? Find out in this action‐packed graphic novel debut!
*Applegate, Katherine. 2012. The One and Only Ivan. Illustrated by Patricia Castelao. New York: Harper.
[Reading Level 4.0, Interest Level gr. 3-6]
The Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade is home to a mangy group of performing animals which includes friends Ivan the gorilla,
Stella the elephant and a stray dog, Bob. They are soon joined by Ruby, a baby elephant who is frightened and confused, after
being torn away from her elephant family. Ivan is philosophical and expresses his view of life through art, which is sold by the
owner of the mall. The financial situation causes both fame and the changes which accompany notoriety.
*Burg, Shana. 2012. Laugh with the Moon. New York: Random House. [Reading Level 5.0, Interest Level gr.
5-8]
Clare’s father has dragged her to Malawi where he is working as a doctor 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 Shana Burg chronicles Clare’s mindset, as
she navigates the ups and downs of being a kid in this African nation.
Chin, Jason. 2011. Coral Reefs. New York: Roaring Brook Press. [Reading Level 6.1, Interest Level gr. K-4]
Imagine opening a book and suddenly finding the room filled with water and animals from the ocean. Take a journey to the coral
reefs in this informative story that mixes reality with fantasy.
*Clifton, Lutricia. 2012. Freaky Fast Frankie Joe. New York: Holiday House. [Reading Level 3.9, Interest Level gr.
3-6]
Frankie Joe and his mom live a laid back life in Texas, but a string of bad choices lands his mom in jail, and Frankie Joe finds
himself living in Illinois with the dad and stepfamily he never knew he had. Trying to make the best of a difficult situation, he uses his
bicycle to deliver pizza in the hopes of earning enough money to bike back home to Texas. Through an unusual group of characters,
Frankie Joe learns the meaning of responsibility, family and the joy of finding a place where you belong.
Fern, Tracey. 2012. Barnum’s Bones. Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. New York: Margaret Ferguson Books /
Farrar Straus Giroux. [Reading Level 6.2, Interest Level K-4]
Even as a young boy, Barnum Brown collected rocks and fossils; as he grew so did his passion, which eventually led to the
discovery of the infamous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex. With larger‐than‐life illustrations, readers will follow Barnum’s expeditions
through this lively biography.
Grandits, John. 2011. 10 Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus.
Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. Boston: Clarion Books. [Reading Level 3.2, Interest Level K-4]
Kyle’s older brother is quite eager to share his “advice” about the rules of conduct for survival on the school bus. Problem is, the
advice about seat location, bullies, girls, and driver, terrifies Kyle! The twists and turns of his school bus adventure will delight all!
*Harris, R.P. 2012. Tua and the Elephant. Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. [Reading
Level 5.8, Interest Level gr. 3-6]
First‐time author R.P. Harris introduces the reader to Tua, a ten‐year‐old girl who lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. On a visit to the
town’s colorful night market, she encounters a beautiful elephant. Unfortunately, two scurrilous mahouts own the mistreated
animal. So begins Tua’s adventurous journey through the Thai countryside in hopes of getting the animal to the elephant refuge!
Kalman, Maira. 2012. Looking at Lincoln. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books. [Reading Level 3.3, Interest Level gr.
K-4]
th
Maira Kalman’s bright illustrations and intriguing story create a unique portrait of our 16 president. This fresh perspective on
Abraham Lincoln is filled with unusual facts as well as personal musings.
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*Lorenzi, Natalie Dias. 2012. Flying the Dragon. Watertown MA: Charlesbridge. [Reading Level 4.6, Interest
Level gr. 3-6]
When Sky’s relatives from Japan suddenly move to the United States, Skye and her cousin Hiroshi question where they
belong.
Can they find common ground by learning each other’s languages and sharing their grandfather’s passion for kite flying battles?
First‐time author, Natalie Dias Lorenzi will leave readers feeling satisfied and anxiously awaiting her next novel.
MacLachlan, Patricia. 2011. Waiting for the Magic. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. New York: Atheneum Books.
[Reading Level 3.0, Interest Level gr. 3-6]
On the morning Papa left, Mama decided to take Elinor and Will to get the dog Papa had never wanted. At the animal shelter,
they found four very compatible canines, and to avoid deciding on just one, Mama declared they would adopt all four, plus a cat.
Surprisingly, all five animals talk, and four‐year‐old Elinor can hear them. So, starts the magic!
Mlynowski, Sarah. 2012. Whatever After: Fairest of All. New York: Scholastic. [Reading Level 2.8, Interest Level
gr. 3-6]
Once upon a time, life for a brother and sister gets turned upside down when the magic mirror in their basement transports
them to a magical land filled with strangely familiar characters. A girl with fair skin and red lips, a poisoned apple and evil
stepmother stand 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. [Reading
Level 4.4, Interest Level gr. 5-8]
Frustrated by his bad choices, Cole’s mom drives through the night from Detroit to Philadelphia, to relinquish the parenting of
Cole to Harper, the father Cole has never known. Harper is the legendary hero of the historic Philadelphia stables! This story
mixes modern urban life with traditional cowboy values of hard work and doing the right thing.
*Palacio, R.J. 2012. Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. [Reading Level 4.8, Interest Level gr. 5-8]
Born with a severe facial deformity, Auggie’s life has consisted of an endless series of surgeries, while being home schooled by his
mother. For the first time in his life, he is going to attend the local school as a fifth grader. Author R.J. Palacio’s first novel is an
uplifting, powerful, realistic read, and you will be cheering for Auggie all the way!
Potter, Ellen. 2012. The Humming Room. New York: Feiwel and Friends. [Reading Level 5.2, Interest Level gr. 58]
Mystery, ghosts, gardens, oh my! Twelve year old Roo Fanshaw’s specialty is hiding. After being sent to live with an eccentric
uncle she never knew in an uninhabited mansion on Cough Rock Island. What does she discover in the mansion and what are
the strange noises she hears? This new mystery is loosely‐based on the classic book The Secret Garden.
Scattergood, Augusta. 2012. Glory Be. New York: Scholastic. [Reading Level 4.3, Interest Level gr. 3-6]
What if you couldn’t go to the neighborhood pool because of the color of your skin? Augusta Scattergood’s debut novel is a
Southern‐inspired story set in 1964. In this moving story we follow Glory through a memorable summer of friendships, sisterly love,
racial tension, and her fight for equality.
Shannon, David. 2012. Jangles: a BIG Fish Story. New York: The Blue Sky Press. [Reading Level 3.2, Interest
Level gr. K-4]
“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 has created a colorful tale from the fish’s point of view. Readers will be hooked by Shannon’s lively illustrations and
exaggerated text.
*Sherry, Maureen. 2010. Walls Within Walls. Illustrated by Adam Stower. New York: Katherine Tegen. [Reading
Level 5.5, Interest Level gr. 4-6
In her debut novel, Maureen Sherry takes us on an adventure through Manhattan. The Smithfork family moves into an old
apartment and find themselves solving a mystery with clues all around them. Who can they trust? How do they read the clues built
into their apartment to find the treasure before it’s too late?
Sweet, Melissa. 2011. Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin. [Reading Level 5.4, Interest Level K-4]
As a child, Tony Sarg loved working with things that moved, like marionettes. He used this passion to design incredible
window displays and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His invention, air‐filled rubber floats, part puppet and part balloon,
are now known the world over, delighting children and adults alike. Masterful collage and found object illustrations make this a
book to remember.
Varon, Sara. 2011. Bake Sale. New York: First Second. [Reading Level 2.9, Interest Level 3-6]
Cupcake happens to be an actual cupcake that plays drums and owns a bakery. He also is saving for his dream vacation to
Turkey, to meet his idol, Turkish Delight, the chef. This fun graphic novel includes recipes to bake your own desserts.
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