Texas Bluebonnet Award
2008-2009 Master List

The Texas Library Association sponsors the
Texas Bluebonnet Award reading list
solely t o encourage free voluntary reading.

Edgar lives in a place of three distinct worlds: The Highlands, Tabletop, and The Flatlands. He has a vague memory of a voice telling him that there is something hidden in the rock walls separating The Highlands of Atherton from Tabletop. When he finds the message, he knows that he may be the only one who can save Atherton from destruction.

Cheaney, J. B. 2007. The Middle of Somewhere. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0375837906; ISBN-10: 0375837906. Trade, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-83790-6, $15.99 Library Binding, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-93790-3; ISBN-10: 0375937900, $18.99. (Paperback to be published Fall 2008). REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Twelve-year-old Ronnie wants to see the world.  The opportunity for her and her brother to travel with their wind prospector grandfather in his camper comes when her mother is injured in a hilarious romp through the house chasing a squirrel. The fact that her grandfather doesn’t really want company and her brother is hyperactive just adds to the adventure.

Day, Karen. 2007. Tall Tales. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. Trade, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-83773-9; ISBN-10: 0375837736, $15.99. Library Binding, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-93773-6 ISBN-10: 0375737730, $18.99. (Paperback to be published Fall 2008). REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Sixth grade is the year Meg finally makes a friend after having to move time-after-time as her alcoholic father is constantly trying to make a fresh start. She is afraid to tell Grace her family secrets, so she makes up stories of a wished-for life. As the truth comes out, Meg discovers what friendship is about.

DeFelice, Cynthia. 2006. One Potato, Two Potato.   Illustrated by Andrea U’Ren. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hardback, ISBN-13: 978-0-374-35640-8; ISBN-10: 0-374-35640-8, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are so poor that they have had to share one coat, one blanket, and one potato each day, but they don’t mind.  When Mr. O’Grady is digging for potatoes and finds a pot with the magical power of doubling any object put into it, they have the chance to make big changes in their simple life.

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.  Hardback, ISBN-13: 978-0-15-205372-7; ISBN-10: 0-1520-5372-7, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Verse, paintings and scientific facts bring the marvels of the Universe to life. The changing of Pluto’s status as a planet is included.

Graff, Lisa. 2006. The Thing About Georgie. New York: Laura Geringer Books. Trade: ISBN-13: 978-0-06-087589-3; ISBN-10: 0-06-087589-5, $15.99. Library Binding, ISBN-13: 978-0-06-087590-9; ISBN-10: 0-06-087590-9, $16.89. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

 Georgie is a Little Person, and for the most part he is happy with his life. However, finding out he is about to become a brother, dealing with Jeanie the Meanie, and having a major fight with his best friend all converge during his fourth-grade year. Georgie has to learn that growing up is not a height issue.

Harper, Charise Mericle. 2007. Just Grace. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-618-64642-5; ISBN-10: 0-618-64642-6, $15.00. (paperback available Spring 2008). REVIEWS  ADVISORY

There are four girls named Grace in the same third grade class. When Miss Lois asks Grace what she wants to be called, her reply is, “just Grace”– and the name stuck. Grace prides herself in empathizing with others, but her attempt at helping her neighbor feel better about her lost cat backfires.

Hart, Alison. Gabriel’s Horses. 2007. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers. Hardcover: ISBN-13; 978-1-56145-398-6; ISBN-10: 1-5614-5398-6, $14.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Though twelve-year-old Gabriel’s father is a free black man, his mother is a slave; thus he is also a slave.  His father trains thoroughbred race horses, and it is Gabriel’s desire to be a jockey some day. When his father joins the Union Army to earn money to buy his family’s freedom, it becomes Gabriel’s job to protect the horses from the new trainer and a band of Confederate raiders.

Jenkins, Emily. 2006. Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-83604-6; ISBN-10: 0-375-83604-7, $16.95. Library Binding, ISBN-13: 978-0-375-93604-3; ISBN-10: 0-375-93604-1, $18.99. Recorded Books, Unabridged Audio Download, $20.05. (Paperback to be published Fall 2008). REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Told in six episodic adventures, Lumpy, Stingray, and Plastic, three best friends who are toys belonging to the Little Girl, discover the dangers and adventures of life in these funny and endearing tales.

Lauber, Patricia. 2006. What You Never Knew About Beds, Bedrooms, and Pajamas. Illustrated by John Manders. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-689-853114; ISBN-10: 0-689-85211-8, $16.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

From The Stone Age to Modern Times the development of all that has to do with sleeping is related in an entertaining, but factual manner. No one will be able to get ready for bed in the same way again, and it might be difficult getting to sleep just thinking about beds, bedrooms, and pajamas.  

McCully, Emily Arnold. 2006.  Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-374-34810-6, ISBN-10: 0-374-34810-3, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Inventor, Margaret Knight, was not the usual 19^th century young woman. Her first inventions were for her brothers, and at age twelve she invented a shuttle-guard that prevented many mill injuries. She became part of history when a man stole her invention for making square bottomed paper bags, and she had to go to court to prove herself as the inventor to obtain the patent.

O’Connor, Barbara. 2007. How to Steal a Dog. New York: Francis Foster Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-374-33497-0; ISBN-10: 0-374-33497-8, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

One secret that Georgina plans to keep from everyone, including her best friend, is that her father left; now she, her mother and her little brother, Toby, are homeless. When she sees a sign offering a $500.00 reward for a lost dog, she sees a way out of her troubles. Now she just has to steal a dog.

Patterson, Nancy Ruth. 2006. The Winner’s Walk. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. Illustrated by Thomas Yezerski.  Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-374-38445-6; ISBN-10: 0-374-38445-2, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Everyone in Case’s family has a special talent, and nine-year-old Case is determined to find his. Things are beginning to look bleak as plan after plan fails — until he finds a lost dog he names Noah. Since Noah has special abilities, he and Case find success in dog agility contests. However, Case soon discovers something else about Noah that leads him to find a special talent for caring.

Paulsen, Gary. 2007. Lawn Boy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. Trade, ISBN-13: 978-0-385-74686-1; ISBN-10: 0385746865, $12.99. Library Binding, ISBN-13: 978-0-385-90923-5, ISBN-10: 0385909233, $15.99. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

On his twelfth birthday he is broke and bored, and his grandmother gives him an old riding lawnmower.  Before long he’s working every day making $20.00 a lawn and he becomes The Lawn Boy. Then, Arnold the stockbroker comes into his life. The next thing he knows he’s got a crew working for him, he’s rich,  and one of his investments is the contract of prizefighter, Joey Pow. No more boring summer.

Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Picturest. New York: Scholastic Press. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-439-81378-5; ISBN-10: 0-439-81378-6, $22.99. Scholastic Audio Books; Com/DVD Un edition, ISBN-13: 978-0545003872; ISBN-10: 0545003873, $29.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

In this first of a kind book that is novel, picture book, graphic novel, and even film, the reader is introduced to Hugo, the orphaned son of a clockmaker in 1931 Paris. Hugo has managed to keep the secret of his father’s death by continuing the job of winding the huge clocks at the Paris train station each day. When his job is done, he works on the secret his father left him. Hugo becomes involved with a book-loving girl and an angry old man; thus, the fast-paced mystery begins. 

Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-618-61680-0; ISBN-10: 0-618-61680-2, $16.00. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

  The assignment for this fictionalized class is to write poems of apology. It’s a hit. The students ask the recipients of the apologies to reply, and the class puts them together in a book. Through a wide variety of poetry the emotion involved in “I’m sorry” and “you’re forgiven” is presented.  

Thimmesh, Catherine. 2006. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0618507573; ISBN-10: 0-618-50757-4, $19.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

Everyone knows about the job of the astronauts in the space program, but most don’t realize the thousands of people it takes behind the scenes to have a successful mission. With photos from NASA and quotes from those involved in Team Moon, everyone is given their due as the Apollo 11 spacecraft takes off on its history-making moon landing.

Tingle, Tim. 2006. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom. Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso: Cinco Puntos Press. Hardback, ISBN-13: 978-0-938317-77-7; ISBN-10: 0-938317-776, $17.95. Paperback to be published in 2008. Audio CD (included on Walking the Choctaw Road), ISBN-13: 978-0938317821; ISBN-10: 0938317822, $24.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

On one side of Bok Chitto is the plantation and on the other the Choctaws. If a slave could get across the river to the Choctaw tribe, there was freedom. With the aide of a Choctaw secret and a bit of magic, Little Mo’s family is able to escape to freedom in this oral tradition tale from both the Choctaw and African-American traditions.

White, Ruth. 2007. Way Down Deep. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0-374-38251-3; ISBN-10: 0-374-38251-4, $16.00.  Thorndike Press; Large print edition, ISBN-10: 0-7862-9867-7; ISBN-13: 978-0786-29867-9, $23.95. REVIEWS  ADVISORY

The town Way Down Deep is full of delightful characters; among them, Ruby a toddler found by the townspeople in the summer of 1944. Ruby lives with Miss Arbutus, the owner of the boarding house, but is raised by the entire town. She loves her life but has always wondered about her history. When she is twelve, a new family that has clues to her past moves to Way Down Deep. The discoveries lead to even more questions for Ruby who has decisions to make about the rest of her life.

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The TBA Committee selected the 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List titles after receiving suggestions from librarians, teachers, parents, students and others. The Master List books, all recommended by one or more reviewing source, should be evaluated in terms of each library’s selection policy. It is not mandatory that a school or public library purchase all titles listed.

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