Dear Parents,
I am excited to announce that this Spring semester we will be offering a FREE Bluebonnet ReadAloud Club. The club will only be open to fourth and fifth graders. We will meet 8 Fridays from 7:00
am to 8:00 am beginning Friday, February 8th. During our 8 weeks, we will focus on reading books that are
on the 2013 Bluebonnet Nominee reading list. http://www.txla.org/tba-release
For those parents who aren’t already familiar with the Texas Bluebonnet Award Reading Program, it is
a voluntary reading program run by the Texas Library Association for third, fourth, and fifth graders across the
state of Texas. Each year the Bluebonnet Award is given to the author of one of the books from the current
year’s reading list. Students all over our state cast their vote in late January for the book that was their
favorite. Ultimately, we want all fourth and fifth grade students here at NYOS to be able to vote for this
award. Eligibility to vote is granted when a student reads, or listens to, at least five of the twenty books
from the list. I will have the books for them to check out at the meetings.
At our weekly club meetings, we will gather in Mrs. Gamble’s room in the 4th/5th grade portables, and I
will read aloud to the students from a book that is on the 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award reading list. I hope
that we can get through several books, which will allow students to come that much closer to being eligible to
vote in January of 2014!
Students who plan to join the club must turn in the signed permission slip as soon as
possible. The deadline for permission slips is January 25th, 2013. Please turn them into your
child’s teacher. The club will be open to the first 50 children who return a signed permission slip.
Students are welcome to bring a small snack to eat while they listen to me read- no snack will be provided!
Parents should be aware that they must arrange transportation for their own child, and be prompt in
dropping off students at Building B in the back no earlier than 7:00 am and no later than 7:10 am.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lisa Boone
lboone@nyos.org
NYOS ElementaryLibrary Mgr
Book Club Dates: February 8th, 15th, 22th, March 1st, April 5th, 12th, 19th and May 3rd
(Detach and return)
______________________________
Child’s Name
________ ________________________________
Grd
Teacher’s Name
has my permission to join the Bluebonnet Read-Aloud Club and to come before school on Friday
mornings from 7:00 am-8:00 am. I am aware that I must arrange for my child to be dropped off
between 7:00 am and 7:10 am at the beginning of each session. Please be prompt.
Book Club Dates: February 8th, 15th, 22th, March 1st, April 5th, 12th, 19th and May 3rd
________________________________
(Parent/Guardian’s signature)
Here are the titles young Texas readers, grades 3-6, will be enjoying next year at enrolled
schools:
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Aguirre, Jorge. 2012. Giants Beware! Illustrated by Rafael Rosado. New York:
First Second.
Applegate, Katherine. 2012. The One and Only Ivan. Illustrated by Patricia
Castelao. New York: Harper.
Burg, Shana. 2012. Laugh with the Moon. New York: Delacorte.
Chin, Jason. 2011. Coral Reefs. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Clifton, Lutricia. 2012. Freaky Fast Frankie Joe. New York: Holiday House.
Fern, Tracey. 2012. Barnum’s Bones. Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. New York:
Margaret Ferguson Books.
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,
Harris, R.P. 2012. Tua and the Elephant. Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Kalman, Maira. 2012. Looking at Lincoln. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books.
Lorenzi, Natalie Dias. 2012. Flying the Dragon. Watertown MA: Charlesbridge.
MacLachlan, Patricia. 2011. Waiting for the Magic. Illustrated by Amy June
Bates. New York: Atheneum Books.
Mlynowski, Sarah. 2012. Whatever After: Fairest of All. New York: Scholastic.
Neri, G. 2011. Ghetto Cowboy. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson.
Summerville, MA: Candlewick.
Palacio, R.J. 2012. Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Potter, Ellen. 2012. The Humming Room. New York: Feiwel and Friends.
Scattergood, Augusta. 2012. Glory Be. New York: Scholastic.
Shannon, David. 2012. Jangles: a BIG Fish Story. New York: The Blue Sky
Press.
Sherry, Maureen. 2010. Walls Within Walls. Illustrated by Adam Stower. New
York: Katherine Tegen.
Sweet, Melissa. 2011. Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the
Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Varon, Sara. 2011. Bake Sale. New York: First Second.
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.
Aguirre, Jorge. 2012. Giants Beware! Illustrated by Rafael Rosado. New York: First
Second. Paperback: 978‐1‐59643‐582‐7.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐06‐199225‐
4, Library Binding: 978‐0‐06‐1992261.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐385‐73471‐4, Library Binding: 978‐0‐385‐
90469‐8, E‐book: 978‐0‐375‐98568‐3.
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. Trade: 978‐1‐59643‐563‐6.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐82342367‐5.
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.
Trade: 978‐0‐374‐30516‐1.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐618‐78822‐4.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐8118‐7781‐7.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐399‐24039‐3.
Maira Kalman’s bright illustrations and intriguing story create a unique portrait of our 16th president. This fresh perspective on
Abraham Lincoln is filled with unusual facts as well as personal musings.
Lorenzi, Natalie Dias. 2012. Flying the Dragon. Watertown MA: Charlesbridge. Reinforced Library Binding: 978‐1‐58089‐434‐0,
Ebook: 978‐1‐60734‐449‐0.2
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. Trade: 978‐1‐
4169‐2745‐7, Ebook: 978‐1‐4424‐3125‐6.
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. Trade:
978‐0‐545‐40330‐6.
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. Trade: 978‐0‐7636‐4922‐7,
Ebook: 978‐0‐7636‐5449‐8
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. Trade: 978‐0‐375‐86902‐0, Library: 978‐0‐375‐96902‐7, Ebook: 978‐0‐375‐
89988‐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. Trade: 978‐0‐312‐64438‐3.
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. Hardcover: 978‐0‐545‐33180‐7.
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. Hardcover: 978‐0‐545‐14312‐7.
“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. Trade: 978‐06‐176700‐5.
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.
Trade: 978‐0‐547‐19945‐0.
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. Hardcover: 978‐1‐59643‐740‐1, Paperback: 978‐1‐59643‐419‐6.
Cupcake happens to be an actual cupcake who 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. Kids will eat up
this delectable treat!
WWW.TXLA.ORG/TBA
Dear Parents,
______________________ in ________________________ class has signed up for the Bluebonnet
Read-Aloud Club. We will meet 8 Fridays from 7:00 am to 8:00 am beginning Friday, February 8th. During
our 8 weeks, we will focus on reading books that are on the 2013 Bluebonnet Nominee reading list.
http://www.txla.org/tba-release
For those parents who aren’t already familiar with the Texas Bluebonnet Award Reading Program, it is
a voluntary reading program run by the Texas Library Association for third, fourth, and fifth graders across the
state of Texas. Each year the Bluebonnet Award is given to the author of one of the books from the current
year’s reading list. Students all over our state cast their vote in late January for the book that was their
favorite. Ultimately, we want all fourth and fifth grade students here at NYOS to be able to vote for this
award. Eligibility to vote is granted when a student reads, or listens to, at least five of the twenty books
from the list. I will have the books for them to check out at the meetings.
At our weekly club meetings, we will gather in Mrs. Gamble’s room in the 4th/5th grade portables, and I
will read aloud to the students from a book that is on the 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award reading list. I hope
that we can get through several books, which will allow students to come that much closer to being eligible to
vote in January of 2014!
Students are welcome to bring a small snack to eat while they listen to me read- no snack will be
provided!
Parents should be aware that they must arrange transportation for their own child, and be prompt in
dropping off students at Building B in the back no earlier than 7:00 am and no later than 7:10 am. I am so
excited about our adventure!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lisa Boone
lboone@nyos.org
NYOS ElementaryLibrary Mgr
Book Club Dates: Feb 8th, 15th, 22th, March 1st, April 5th, 12th, 19th and May 3rd