2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Award List

Check out the 2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet reading list, developed by the Texas Library Association to encourage reading for pleasure for students in grades 3-6.

Plano Public Library has all 20 Bluebonnet books available for checkout beginning Monday, February 14, and you can visit a library location for information on Texas Library Association reading lists and to browse our Texas 2×2’s, Lone Star, and Bluebonnet titles.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, illustrated by Godwin Akpan. Thirteen-year-old Amari, a poor Black girl from the projects, gets an invitation from her missing brother to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and join in the fight against an evil magician. Print / Large Print / eBook / eAudiobook / Playaway.

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso. When the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, dwindles and no one knows why, Willodeen, armed with a magical birthday gift, speaks up for the animals she loves and vows to uncover this mystery. Print / eBook.

Once upon a Camel by Kathi Applet, illustrated by Eric Rohmann. In 1910, Zada the camel treks across the West Texas desert to save two baby kestrels from an approaching haboob, a mountain-sized storm. She shares stories of the adventures from her youth in Turkey to keep them calm. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

Rock by Rock: the Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand by Jennifer Bradbury, illustrated by Sam Boughton. The true story of artist Nek Chand and how his secret–and illegal–art project became one of Indian’s most treasured wonders. Print / eBook.

J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts. Eight-year-old J.D. turns a tragic home haircut into a thriving barber business in this hilarious new illustrated chapter book series. Print / eAudiobook.

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs. Based on a true story, the tale of one girl’s perilous journey to cross the U.S. border and lead her family to safety during the Mexican Revolution. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

Nightingale by Deva Fagan. After twelve-year-old Lark, determined to escape her squalid life, steals a magical sword from the Royal Museum, she reluctantly becomes the next Nightingale, destined to vanquish an ancient evil. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

The Hungry Place by Jessie Haas. A pony with a mind of her own and a girl with a spine of steel find in each other the remedy to their loneliness. Print / eBook.

Billy Miller Makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes. On his eighth birthday, Billy Miller wishes for something exciting to happen. None of his wishes are answered the way he expects, but he does have lots of surprises–and the final one is possibly the best one ever. Print / Playaway / eBook / eAudiobook.

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm. Bell has spent his whole life–all eleven years of it–on Mars. When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, it’s up to Bell to uncover the truth and save his family. Print / Large Print / Playaway / eAudiobook.

Stella by McCall Hoyle, illustrated by Kevin Keele. A former service beagle named Stella who must find the courage to overcome her fears and use her special nose to save a girl’s life. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. Gino Bartali pedaled across Italy for years, winning one cycling race after another, including the 1938 Tour de France. But Gino’s greatest achievement was something he never told a soul–that he secretly worked with the Italian resistance to save hundreds of Jewish men, women, and children, and others, from certain death, using the one thing no authority would question: his bicycle. Print.

Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright. Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there’s nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good? Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

No Place for Monsters by Kory Merrit. Cowslip Grove seems like the perfect place to raise a family until the children start disappearing. Nobody looks for the children because nobody can remember them. Nobody except Levi and Kat. Now they must figure out what terrible presence is taking the chilren and fight it to save the missing kids, before the whole town disappears. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng. If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class. Illustrated with black-and-white art. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander. A biographical novel tells the story of Cassius Clay, the determined boy who would one day become Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time. Print / Wonderbook / eBook / eAudiobook.

Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers. Oliver the tortoise looks back on his happy life as he wonders why his pet human, Ike, who he has had for eighty years, has stopped visiting the garden. Print / eBook.

Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Don Tate. In this book you will find one-finger ball-spinning, rapid-fire mini-dribbling, and a ricochet head shot! You will find skilled athletes, expert players, and electrifying performers, all rolled into one! You will find nonstop, give-it-all-you’ve-got, out-to-win-it, sky’s-the-limit BASKETBALL! Print.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation’s history. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.

Long Lost by Jacqueline West. Feeling lonely and out of place after her family moves to a new town, eleven-year-old Fiona Crane ventures to the local library, where she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance. Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. With a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places–maybe even from the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore. Print / eBook / eAudiobook.