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In this tutorial, you will learn all about the Texas Bluebonnet Award program and how you can participate. Follow the green arrows located on the bottom right corner of the pages to navigate through the PowerPoint. next

Click on the words to take you to the information pages. **Click on the green “next” arrow only after you are finished with this page.** next WhoWho? WhatWhat? WhenWhen? WhereWhere? HowHow?

Who can participate? All students in grades 3 through 6 are able to participate in the program. Your teacher or your librarian can help you. back

What is the Texas Bluebonnet Award? The Texas Bluebonnet Award is a program in which 20 books are nominated each year. Students read the books or have the books read to them. When it’s time, eligible students get to vote on their favorite book. The author of the book with the most votes is presented with the Texas Bluebonnet Award at the Texas Library Association’s annual conference. back

When can I work on this? Your teacher will let you know when he or she wants you to work on this during class. You may come to the library during open hours as long as you have a pass from your teacher. You can read books during your free time, any other time in class or the library (as long as you have permission), or even while you are at home. Maybe your parents want to read some of the books with you. That’s okay, too! back

Where will I be doing this? You can read here at school, at home, on the bus, or even at daycare. Be creative, and think of your favorite place to read! back

How do I participate? You must read or have someone read to you at least 5 books out of the 20 nominees. Each time you finish reading or hearing a book, find a time to come to the library to fill out a short review of the book. These review sheets will be kept in a binder here in the library. Just look for your teacher’s name to find your class. You may read more than 5 books if you’d like. Student who read at least 5 books and fill out at least 5 reviews will be invited to vote for their favorite book. back

On the next page (Book List), click on the hyperlinked book titles to learn more about each book. Click on the green arrow when you are finished with that page. next

The Book List Thunder Birds: Nature’s Flying Predators (Jim Arnosky) Just Being Audrey (Margaret Cardillo) The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale (Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright Under the Mambo Moon (Julia Durango) Clever Jack Takes the Cake (Candace Fleming) Zita the Spacegirl (Ben Hatke) Hamster Magic (Lynne Jonell) Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates (Kim Kennedy) Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates (Kim Kennedy) Hero (Mike Lupica) Benjamin Franklinstein Lives! (Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury) next

Book List Continued Ruth and the Green Book (Calvin Ramsey) Wonderstruck (Brian Selznick) Aliens on Vacation (Clete Barrett Smith) Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (Julie Sternberg) Scarum Fair (Jessica Swaim) Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog (Adrienne Sylver) Postcards from Camp (Simms Taback) EllRay Jakes is NOT a Chicken (Sally Warner) Play, Louis, Play: The True Story of a Boy and His Horn (Muriel Harris Weinstein) Escape Under the Forever Sky (Eve Yohalem) next

Thunder Birds: Nature’s Flying Predators by: Jim Arnosky Why are there no feathers on a vulture’s head? Which bird is the deep-diving champ? What makes an owl’s wings silent in flight? If you would like to know the answers to these questions, pick up this breathtaking nonfiction picture book by Jim Arnosky, acclaimed naturalist and illustrator. back

Just Being Audrey by: Margaret Cardillo From Roman Holiday to Breakfast at Tiffany's, when Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie, she lit up the screen. Learn more about Audrey Hepburn as a little girl, an actress, an icon, an inspiration; this is Audrey just being Audrey. back

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by: Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, trades in his street-cat life to live at ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. There he makes a deal with Pip, a well-educated mouse, to protect the mice who live at the inn. What does Skilley get out of the deal? You’ll have to read to find out the answer to this question, to learn more about the adventures of Skilley and Pip, and to find out who some of the special guests are at the inn. back

Under the Mambo Moon by: Julia Durango back Marisol loves helping her father out on Friday nights in his music shop as their neighbors stop by to visit and listen to their favorite dance music from their home countries. Poetry, music, and dance come together to tell Marisol’s story about growing up in her Latino community.

Clever Jack Takes the Cake by: Candace Fleming What would you do if you were invited to the princess’s tenth birthday party but didn’t have money for a gift? Well, clever Jack decides to bake the princess a cake. Now he just has to get it to the castle in one piece. What could possibly go wrong? Find out more about this funny new fairy tale! back

Zita the Spacegirl by: Ben Hatke When a little red button crashes to earth, Zita and her friend Joseph can’t help but push it. Oh no! Joseph is whisked away through a portal to another place. Find out if Zita’s journey from star to star will end with them both getting back home safely. back

Hamster Magic by: Lynne Jonell Celia Willow is tired of being the baby of the family. When Celia’s pet hamster surprises the Willows with his wish-granting powers, Celia gets more than she asked for. Can her big brothers and sister help her get back to normal before breakfast? back

Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates by: Kim Kennedy Misty Gordon is used to weird, but things in her New England town of Ashcrumb are getting weirder. Misty goes with her father to the estate of a psychic who recently died and discovers a notebook and a pair of eyeglasses that help her to see ghosts and solve mysteries! Misty encounters ghosts of pirates who are looking for their lost treasure. Who will find it first, Misty or the pirates? back

Hero by: Mike Lupica Billy Harriman is fourteen years old and can feel himself changing. His senses are becoming sharper, his strength is increasing, and he is so fast that he feels as if he can text message himself across miles. He knows that his dad had been a hero before he died, but what he doesn’t know is that his dad was a superhero who battled the world’s evil. Now it's Billy's turn to continue the fight and become a hero. back

Benjamin Franklinstein Lives! by:Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury Victor Godwin has an organized life. That is until he discovers that Benjamin Franklin has been hidden away for more than 200 years in his basement! Victor must help the newly awakened Ben adjust to the modern world and get past his problem of turning into a rampaging monster desperately hungry for electricity! back

Ruth and the Green Book by: Calvin Ramsey It’s the early 1950s and few African Americans could afford to buy cars. Ruth was looking forward to taking a trip in her family's new car! She quickly found out that black travelers weren't treated very well and many hotels and gas stations wouldn’t serve black people. When a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth's family The Green Book with a list of all of the places that would welcome black travelers, Ruth and her family could finally make a safe journey from Chicago to her grandma's house in Alabama. back

Wonderstruck by: Brian Selznick Ben and Rose secretly wish for different lives. Ben wants the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she keeps track of in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads a tempting headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on journeys to find what they are missing. Don’t miss the next book from the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret! back

Aliens on Vacation by: Clete Barrett Smith Scrub doesn’t want to spend the summer with his hippie grandmother at her Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast. The decorations are old, and the guests are weird. He finds out that each room in the inn is a portal and his grandma is the gate- keeper, allowing aliens to vacation on earth. Will Scrub be able to help his grandma by disguising the tourists as humans? back

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by: Julie Sternberg Eleanor loves her babysitter, Bibi. When Bibi has to move away, Eleanor must get used to a new babysitter and get ready for a new school year. She learns that she will always have Bibi, no matter how far away she is from her. This book is written in free-verse style and tells a story about friendships and growing up. back

Scarum Fair by: Jessica Swaim Filled with poems that mix common sights and sounds of a fair, this book includes creepy, ghoulish, and beautiful illustrations and funny rhymes. back

Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog by: Adrienne Sylver How important are hot dogs to America? We ate them on the way to the moon and served them to the king of England. We even name a Hot Dog Eating Champ! Find out more about the history of the hot dog with this book and its hilarious illustrations and amazing facts. back

Postcards from Camp by: Simms Taback At first, Michael isn’t crazy about his first ever sleepaway camp. His dad tells him to stick it out. After some time, Michael mentions a friend or two and is finally a happy camper and plans to stay longer next time. Learn about Michael’s camp experience through the handmade postcards and funny letters between Michael and his dad. back

Ellray Jakes is NOT a chicken! by: Sally Warner EllRay Jakes is tired of being bullied by his classmate, Jared Matthews. Ellray tries to defend himself but ends up in trouble himself. His dad offers him a deal he can’t refuse: If he stays out of trouble for one week, they'll go to Disneyland! EllRay says he can do it, but saying it and doing it are two very different things. back

Play, Louis, Play: The True Story of a Boy and His Horn by: Muriel Harris Weinstein Louis Armstrong was a great musician, and his childhood was just as fascinating as the man himself. Learn more about Louis from his closest friend, his horn! back

Escape Under the Forever Sky by: Eve Yohalem Lucy's mother is the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia and keeps Lucy locked up inside the ambassador's residence. All Lucy can do is read about the exotic and exciting world that lies outside of the compound walls. One day, when Lucy decides she and a friend will sneak off for some fun, Lucy gets kidnapped! With only herself to rely upon, Lucy must use her knowledge of African animals, inventiveness, will, and courage to escape. Tag along as Lucy goes on an adventure beyond her wildest imagination. back

Past Winners 2012: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger 2011: The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin ; illustrated by James Stimson 2010: Help Me, Mr. Mutt! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel 2009: One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice & Andrea U'Ren (illustrator) 2008: Down Girl and Sit: On the Road by Lucy Nolan 2007: Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma by Joe Hayes 2006: Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta by Lisa Wheeler and Mark Siegel 2005: Togo by Robert Blake 2004: Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy by Phil Bildner 2003: The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring by Ruth Sanderson 2002: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo 2001: Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel 2000: The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia DeFelice 1999: Verdi by Janell Cannon 1998: Tornado by Betsy Byars 1997: Math Curse by Jon Scieszka next 1996: Time For Andrew: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn 1995: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka 1994: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 1993: The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick 1992: Snot Stew by Bill Wallace 1991: Aliens for Breakfast by Jonathan Etra & Stephanie Spinner 1990: There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar 1989: Wait 'Til Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn 1988: Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright 1987: The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz 1986: The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright 1985: Skinnybones by Barbara Park 1984: Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements 1983: A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace 1982: Superfudge by Judy Blume 1981: Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

Click on the pictures to learn more about each of the nominees for this year. You can read more about the book, find out information about the author, and even rate the book. You can also find the names of other books like the one you clicked on. next

Sources Information borrowed from the Texas Library Association: Information and book cover pictures provided by Mackin Book Talk: bId=106 bId=106 All other pictures are from Microsoft Office Clipart. Created by Lori Leal MLS Graduate Student SHSU March 2012