1. The Bluestem Award: Illinois' Grades 3-5 Readers' Choice Award

2. Students must read, or have read to them 4 of the 20 books.
Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists.
Students must read, or have read to them 4 of the 20 books.
Bluestem Brochure

3. RL 2.7 4 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction 113 Pgs. Ivy and Bean
By Annie Barrows
Bean likes stomping in puddles, climbing fences into neighbors' backyards, and playing tricks on her older sister, Nancy. Bean wasn't interested in making friends with Ivy, the new girl across the street, until she plays a trick on her sister and needs a place to hide out.

4. RL 5.6 3 RC Pts. Non-fiction 48 Pgs. Nic Bishop Frogs By Nic Bishop
Some jump. Some glide. Some burrow.
Full-color, illustrated photographs describing the characteristics and behaviors of a variety of frogs around the world.

5. RL 4.8 7 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction 146 Pgs. No Talking
Nancy Keane - No Talking
RL 4.8
7 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
146 Pgs.
No Talking
By Andrew Clements
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.
Who will win that contest???

6. RL 5.8 7 RC Pts. Fantasy 219 Pgs. The BFG By Roald Dahl
What is a BFG? Why a Big, Friendly Giant, of course! Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG, who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants. Follow Sophie’s adventures as she befriends the BFG, meets the Queen of England and matches wits with the other Big, not-so-friendly Giants!)

7. RL 4.8 7 RC Pts. Fantasy 151 Pgs. Kenny & the Dragon
Nancy Keane book talk
RL 4.8
7 RC Pts.
Fantasy
151 Pgs.
Kenny & the Dragon
By Tony DiTerlizzi
Kenny Rabbit tries to save his friend, the dragon, after he is labeled a community nuisance by the simple people of Roundbrook village, who arrange for the creature to be fought by St. George.

8. RL 6.4 2 RC Pts. Historical Fiction 34 Pgs.
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
By Deborah Hopkinson & James E. Ransome
Have you ever wondered how a sky scraper is made? In 1931, a boy and his father watch as the world's tallest building, the Empire State Building, is constructed, step-by-step, near their Manhattan home. To this day, it ranks among the most amazing accomplishments of American Architecture.  Using new building techniques, records were set for the incredible speed and efficiency of the building.

9. Emma and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
RL 4.5
14 RC Pts.
Fantasy
346 Pgs.
Emma and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
by Lynne Jonell
“Emmy was a good girl…she really was a little too good... which is why she liked to sit by the Rat. The Rat was not good at all…” So begins the fascinating story of a girl who found she could communicate with the class Rat.   When Emmy discovers that she and her formerly loving parents are being drugged by their evil nanny with rodent potions that can change people in frightening ways, she and some new friends must try everything possible to return things to normal. Could her very intrusive nanny, Miss Barmy, really be as evil as it now appeared?

10. RL 1.9 3 RC Pts. Historical Fiction
40 Pgs.
Henry’s Freedom Box
By Ellen Levine
How old is Henry? Henry doesn’t even know. No one keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. This is a fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

11. RL 5.2 7 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
134 Pgs.
The Year of the Dog
By Grace Lin
Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.

12. RL 3.5 5 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
Nancy Keane book talk Being Teddy R.
RL 3.5
5 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
89 Pgs.
Being Teddy Roosevelt
By Claudia Mills
When he is assigned Teddy Roosevelt as his biography project in school, fourth-grader Riley finds himself inspired by Roosevelt's tenacity and perseverance and resolves to find a way to get what he most wants--a saxophone and music lessons. Will he succeed?

13. RL 3.7 5 RC Pts. Historical Fiction
96 Pgs.
Hachiko Waits
By Leslea Newman
Professor Ueno's loyal Akita, Hachiko, waits for him at the train station every afternoon, and even after the professor has a fatal heart attack while at work, Hachiko faithfully continues to await his return. Based on a true story. How long would you wait?

14. RL 4.3 3 RC Pts. Collective Biography
34 Pgs.
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman
by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Jerry Siegelman and Joe Shuster, two misfit teens in Depression-era Cleveland, were more like Clark Kent—meek, mild, and myopic—than his secret identity, Superman. Both boys escaped into the worlds of science fiction and pulp magazine adventure tales. Jerry wrote stories, and Joe illustrated them. In 1934, they created a superhero who was everything they were not. SUPERMAN

15. RL 3.9 9 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
170 Pgs.
How to Steal a Dog
By Barbara O’Connor
"The day I decided to steal a dog is the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car.“ A reward poster for a lost dog gives Gerogina the seriously unfortunate idea to steal a dog and then return it for the reward.  The plan doesn't work quite like she planned though because her conscience makes itself heard loud and clear. Homelessness??

16. RL 5.3 2 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
Nancy Keane audio book talk Houdini Box
RL 5.3
2 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
74 Pgs.
The Houdini Box
By Brian Selznick
Young Victor dreams of being a great magician someday.  Just like his idol Harry Houdini.  He practices over and over again.  When he gets to actually meet his hero, imagine his delight when Houdini gives him a magic box.  (Mysterious box--one that might hold the secrets to the greatest magic tricks ever performed) When he turned it over, he saw that the initials E.W. were on the bottom.  He was so disappointed.  This wasn't Houdini's box after all. 
How could Houdini been so cruel?

17. RL 4.8 9 RC Pts. Fantasy 171 Pgs. Dodger and Me By Jordan Sonnenblick
Do you believe in Genies? Miserable because his only friend moved away and he has once again caused his baseball team to lose a game, fifth-grader Willy Ryan's life suddenly becomes a lot more interesting when he finds Dodger, a furry, blue chimpanzee that only he can see, and he has to decide what he really wishes for in life.

18. RL 4.5 3 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
Eileen Spinelli Website
RL 4.5
3 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
112 Pgs.
Where I Live
By Eileen Spinelli
Diana loves where she lives. She loves the astronomy charts on her walls and the fact that she can wave to her best friend, Rose, from her very own window. And best of all, a wren has recently made its home right by her front door! When her family is forced to move, Diana wonders if she’ll ever find that same grounded and happy feeling again. Loosing a friend and a home!!

19. RL 3.5 4 RC Pts. Biography 48 Pgs. Stand Tall Abe Lincoln
By Judith St. George
Abraham Lincoln grew up poor and without schooling in a Kentucky wilderness and lost his mother before he was ten. It was sparkplug Sally Bush Johnston who married his father, brought a library of books to their log cabin home, and believed in Abe from the beginning. She was an inspiring turning point for young Abe, who went on to become America’s sixteenth and most popular and respected president.

20. By Wendelin Van Draanen
RL 4.7
5 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
138 Pgs.
Secret Identity
By Wendelin Van Draanen
Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!

21. RL 5.7 7 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
Nancy Keane audio booktalk Oggie
RL 5.7
7 RC Pts.
Realistic
Fiction
Oggie Cooder
By Sarah Weeks
172 Pgs.
Fourth-grader Oggie Cooder calls the calming activity of chewing and carving cheese charving. When a TV show about unique talents wants to send him to Hollywood, Oggie has to decide if he's willing to change and put up with his fame-crazed neighbor, Donnica.

22. RL 4.5 12 RC Pts. Realistic Fiction
242 Pgs.
The Aurora County All-Stars
By Deborah Wiles
In his small Mississippi town, twelve-year-old House Jackson has been sidelined for a whole sorry year with a broken elbow. He's finally ready to play, but wouldn't you know that the team's only game of the year has been scheduled for the exact same time as the town's 200th-anniversary pageant. Will he play ball or do the pageant? He just inherited a dog named Eudora Welty!!!

23. What book will you start with?