Special Collections
Bluebonnet Award Winners
Description: The Texas Bluebonnet Award winners are selected by librarians, teachers, parents, students and other interested persons and are appropriate for grades 3-6. #award
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Aliens for Breakfast
by Stephanie Spinner and Steve Bjorkman and Jonathan EtraIt's been ten years since Richard Bickerstaff sat down to breakfast and an alien climbed out of his cereal bowl! Join Richard and Aric, a tiny, wisecracking creature from the planet Ganoob, as they battle to save the world from evil aliens in Aliens for Breakfast, Aliens for Lunch, and Aliens for Dinner. We're reissuing the trilogy with brand-new covers sporting a space age 10th Anniversary logo. Now a new generation of readers can experience the fun and adventure that won these books rave reviews and loyal fans! From the Hardcover edition.
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamilloRecalling the fiction of Harper Lee and Carson McCullers, here is a funny, poignant, and utterly genuine first novel from a major new talent.
The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of WAR AND PEACE. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar.Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship--and forgiveness--can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.
Newbery Medal Honor book
Christina's Ghost
by Betty Ren Wright[From The Back Cover] "The last thing Christina wants to do this summer is stay with grumpy Uncle Ralph in his old Victorian house. She's sure she'll have an awful time. But on her very first day there, Christina meets a sad, mysterious little ghost boy who seems to need her help. Soon Christina discovers the house contains a mystery that was never solved ... and that the ghost boy has something to do with it all. But how can she make Uncle Ralph help her solve the puzzle? What is the evil, chilling presence that lurks in the attic? And why is it trying so hard to frighten her away?" Many, many spooky books by this author are in the Bookshare collection. including Ghosts Beneath Our Feet, and A Ghost in the House.
El Chupacabras
by Adam Rubin and Crash McCreeryA long time ago, a girl named Carla lived on a goat farm with her father, Hector. One night, a goat disappeared from the farm and turned up flat as a pancake. Only one creature could do that--El Chupacabras, the goatsucker! Legend has it that El Chupacabras is a fearsome beast, but you can't believe everything you hear...and sometimes the truth is even more interesting. Told in equal parts English and Spanish by bestselling author Adam Rubin, and cinematically illustrated by acclaimed Hollywood creature creator Crash McCreery, this lighthearted take on a modern legend is not told in the traditional bilingual style. Each sentence is half-Spanish/half-English followed by a repetition of the same line translated the other way around. This mirroring technique allows the languages to intermingle equally. A fun and unique way to introduce either Spanish or English to new readers.
Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!
by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens CrummelBig Brown Rooster is sick of chicken feed. So along with his friends--Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig--he sets out to make the most magnificent strawberry shortcake in the whole wide world. But there's one problem: none of his friends knows how to cook! The team bravely forges ahead, and with Rooster's help, they learn how to measure flour (not with a ruler) and how to beat an egg (not with a baseball bat). But can they keep Pig from gobbling up all the ingredients?
The Day The Crayons Quit
by Drew Daywalt and Oliver JeffersPoor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking--each believes he is the true color of the sun.
What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?
Kids will be imagining their own humorous conversations with crayons and coloring a blue streak after sharing laughs with Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers. This story is perfect as a back-to-school gift, for all budding artists, for fans of humorous books such as Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith, and for fans of Oliver Jeffers' Stuck, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Lost and Found, and This Moose Belongs to Me.
New York Times Bestseller
A Dog Called Kitty
by Bill WallaceTHE PUPPY WAS SMALL AND FUZZY, WITH A FRIENDLY WAGGING TAIL-- AND RICKY WAS AFRAID OF HIM! When the pup shows up at the farm, small and fuzzy with a floppy wet tongue and a bushy tail that's always wagging, no one knows where he's from. Motherless and hungry, he needs to be fed or he'll starve to death. Most boys would welcome such a dog into their lives; feed it and train it and raise it to be a good farm pet. But Ricky's different. Ever since he was attacked as a baby by a mad dog, he's been afraid of them. This is an unforgettable adventure story about the trust that grows up between a boy and a mongrel. Winner of the Texas Bluebonnet, the Oklahoma Sequoyah, and the Nebraska Golden Sower Awards Cover art copyright © 1992 by Rudy Nappi www.scholastic.com This edition is available for distribution only through the school market.
The Dollhouse Murders
by Betty Ren WrightTwelve-year-old Amy knows there is some connection between Aunt Claire's old dollhouse in the attic and a deadly secret from years ago.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Ghost Fever
by Joe HayesIn his classic bilingual style, Joe tells the story of a haunted house in a poor little town in Arizona. Nobody will rent that house because they know a ghost lives there. So the landlord tries to rents it out for free. Still nobody will rent it. That is, until Elena's father rents it. He doesn't believe in ghosts. Lucky for Elena that her grandmother knows all about the ways of ghosts. Elena, with the help of her grandmother, resolves the mystery of "ghost fever"--and learns a lesson about life.Joe Hayes, who lives in Santa Fe, is an award-winning storyteller renowned especially for his stories in Spanish and English.
The Ghost of Fossil Glen
by Cynthia DefeliceAllie Nichols is being pursued by a ghost. Her friend Karen calls Allie a liar and doesn't want to hear "stuff like that". But her old pal, Dub, listens eagerly as Allie tells him about the voice that guides her down a steep cliff side, the girl she imagines who begs, "Help me", and a terrible nightmare in which that girl falls to her death. Who is that girl? Is she the ghost? And what does the ghost want from Allie?
The Golden Mare, The Firebird, And The Magic Ring
by Ruth SandersonBased on Russian folklore, this is the tale of Alexi, who saves the Golden Mare's life in return for her eternal loyalty. With her help he becomes the Tzar's best huntsman, only to be sent on impossible tasks by the jealous Tzar. Will the Golden Mare be able to help him win Yelena the Fair?
Help Me, Mr. Mutt!
by Janet StevensResponding to disgruntled dogs nationwide, Mr. Mutt, Canine Counselor, has solutions to the most sticky dilemmas. But Mr. Mutt has his own problem to solve: the cat (aka The Queen), who has her own idea of who's in charge. Now Mr. Mutt is the one who needs help--quick! Through letters and newspaper clippings--and with plenty of their trademark humor--Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel give voice to despairing dogs everywhere.
The Hot and Cold Summer
by Johanna HurwitzRory and Derek were best friends but with Bolivia visiting next door, would their friendship last?
The Houdini Box
by Brian SelznickVictor is forever trying to escape from locked trunks, walk through walls, and perform any number of Houdini's astonishing magic tricks. . . without success. Then -- amazingly -- he actually meets his idol, and begs Houdini to explain himself. A mysterious locked box is the magician's only answer, and Victor is left to wonder: Does the box contain the secrets to the most famous magic tricks ever performed?
If I Built A School
by Chris Van DusenIn this exuberant companion to If I Built a Car, a boy fantasizes about his dream school--from classroom to cafeteria to library to playground. My school will amaze you. My school will astound. By far the most fabulous school to be found! Perfectly planned and impeccably clean. On a scale, 1 to 10, it's more like 15! And learning is fun in a place that's fun, too. If Jack built a school, there would be hover desks and pop-up textbooks, skydiving wind tunnels and a trampoline basketball court in the gym, a robo-chef to serve lunch in the cafeteria, field trips to Mars, and a whole lot more. The inventive boy who described his ideal car and house in previous books is dreaming even bigger this time.
The Last Kids on Earth
by Max BrallierA Netflix Original series! The first book in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series, with over 7 million copies in print!"Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs."--Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Diary of a Wimpy Kid Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack's loyal pet monster, Rover; and the fiercest girl Jack knows, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it? Told in a mixture of text and black-and-white illustration, this is the perfect series for any kid who's ever dreamed of starring in their own comic book or video game. Covers may vary.
Math Curse
by Jon Scieszka and Lane SmithWhen the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquired a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.
Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade
by Barthe DeclementsWhen fat Elsie Edwards walks into Jenny Sawyer's fifth grade class, she's the last person Jenny expects to be friendly with. Elsie is not only fat, she steals everyone's lunch money to buy candy. And when the book club money disappears, the whole class is punished. Nothing's fair! The teacher, Mrs. Hanson, is very strict. Fractions are impossible. And Jenny is assigned as Elsie's guide in school. Nothing's fair! But Elsie turns out to be a math genius. She helps Jenny learn fractions. Elsie's diet begins to work. Then Jenny and her friends discover that Elsie's fat really covers up a good friend. Nothing's fair-but some things are not as bad as they seem!
One Potato, Two Potato
by Cynthia C. DefeliceMr. and Mrs. O'Grady are so poor they have just one of everything to share – one potato a day, one chair, one blanket full of holes, and one gold coin for a rainy day. After digging up the last potato in their patch, Mr. O'Grady comes upon a big black object. It's a pot – no ordinary pot, for what they soon discover is that whatever goes into it comes out doubled! Suddenly the O'Gradys aren't destitute anymore. But what they really long for is one friend apiece. Can the magic pot give them that? This retelling of a Chinese folktale pays tribute to the author's Irish heritage, and to the joys of an old marriage, new friendships, and the impulse to share. Using pen and gouache, the artist shows the "simple" characters in all their winning complexity. One Potato, Two Potato is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
On The Road
by Lucy Nolan and Mike ReedDown Girl spends her days protecting her master, Rruff, from Here Kitty Kitty and the neighborhood squirrels. But when Rruff invites Down Girl on a road trip, Down Girl knows she’s in for an even bigger adventure. With her best friend, Sit, along for the ride, the fun really begins. These two dogs never know quite where they’re going, but one thing’s certain. When they hop into a car, they’re sure to drive everyone crazy!
Ramona and Her Father
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayRamona just wants everyone to be happy. If only her father would smile and joke again, her mother would look less worried, her sister would be cheerful, and Picky-picky would eat his cat-food. But Ramona's father has lost his job, and nobody in the Quimby household is in a very good mood.
Ramona tries to cheer up the family as only Ramona can -- by rehearsing for life as a rich and famous star of television commercials, for instance -- but her best efforts only make things worse. Her sister, Beezus, calls her a, pest, her parents lose patience with her, and her teacher claims she's forgotten her- manners. But when her father admits he wouldn't trade her for a million dollars, Ramona knows everything is going to work out fine in the end.
Newbery Medal Honor Book
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Fountas and Pinnell Level: O
Lexile: 691L - 770L
Reading Recovery: 34
DRA: 34
PM Readers: 24 Silver
Grade: 3
Ages: 8 - 9
Learning A to Z Level: S
Accelerated Reader (ATOS): 3.9 - 5.1
Sergeant Reckless
by Patricia McCormick and Iacopo BrunoThe inspiring true story of Reckless, the brave little horse who became a Marine.
When a group of US Marines fighting in the Korean War found a bedraggled mare, they wondered if she could be trained to as a packhorse. They had no idea that the skinny, underfed horse had one of the biggest and bravest hearts they’d ever known. And one of the biggest appetites!
Soon Reckless showed herself more than willing to carry ammunition too heavy for the soldiers to haul. As cannons thundered and shells flew through the air, she marched into battle—again and again—becoming the only animal ever to officially hold military rank—becoming Sgt. Reckless—and receive two Purple Hearts.
Shiloh
by Phyllis Reynolds NaylorMarty will do anything to save his new friend Shiloh in this Newbery Medal–winning novel from Phillis Reynolds Naylor.When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight—and also big trouble. It turns out the dog, which Marty names Shiloh, belongs to Judd Travers, who drinks too much and has a gun—and abuses his dogs. So when Shiloh runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. But Marty's secret becomes too big for him to keep to himself, and it exposes his entire family to Judd's anger. How far will Marty have to go to make Shiloh his?
Shoeless Joe And Black Betsy
by Phil BildnerNo one knew better than Shoeless Joe Jackson what was needed to become the best baseball player ever: a good bat. And no one knew more about bats than Ol' Charlie Ferguson of South Carolina, a good friend of Joe's. With love, nurture, and a lot of hard work, the two friends created Black Betsy -- the finest bat in all the land. And with a bat the likes of her by his side, you can bet Joe went all the way to the major leagues!
Skinnybones
by Barbara ParkPlay Ball???"I've played Little League baseball for six years now. But to tell you the truth, I'm not exactly what you'd call a real good athlete. Actually, I'm not even real okay. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is, I stink."For the smallest kid on the baseball team, Alex "Skinnybones" Frankovitch has a major-league bigmouth! But even Alex knows he's gone too far when he brags his way into a pitching contest with T.J. Stoner, the best baseball player -- and biggest creep -- in the entire school. What a mistake! This might be one mess that not even Alex can talk his way out of--