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The 2007-08 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nomination List is out, you are back in school, you are reading like CRAZY…

What do you think!?!?!

This is the blog for you to discuss with other students around the state of Texas what you really think about the nominees! 

Ballet of the Elephants

Schubert, Leda. 2006. Ballet of the Elephants. Illustrated by Robert Parker. New Milford, Connecticut: Brodie/Roaring Brook. Trade Edition, ISBN: 1-59643-075-3, $17.95.

In the early 1940s, John Ringling North, Igor Stravinsky, and George Balanchine collaborated to create an unusual circus act — elephants in pink tutus partnering with beautiful ballerinas to perform the Circus Polka.

Bella at Midnight

Stanley, Diane. 2006. Bella at Midnight. New York: HarperCollins. Library Edition, ISBN: 0-06-077574-2, $16.89. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-06-077573-4, $15.99.

Written in multiple voices, this Cinderella tale chronicles Bella’s magical quest to save her kingdom from war and warn her childhood friend, Prince Julian, of the threat against his life

The Blue Ghost

Bauer, Marion Dane. 2005. The Blue Ghost. Illustrated by Suling Wang. New York: Random House. Library Edition, ISBN: 0-375-93179-1, $13.99. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-375-83179-7, $11.95. Paperback Edition, Random House (2006), ISBN: 0-375-83339-0, $3.99.

While visiting her grandmother, Liz learns about her family’s history when she encounters a blue ghost and steps back in time to answer a call for help.

Chicken Boy

Dowell, Frances O’Roark. 2005. Chicken Boy. New York: Atheneum. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-689-85816-7, $15.95. Large Print Edition, Thorndike (2006), ISBN: 0-786-28280-0, $22.95. Paperback Edition, Aladdin (2007), ISBN: 1-416-93482-0, $5.99. Audio CD, Listening Library, ISBN: 0-307-24562-4, $30.00.

Tobin, usually a loner, becomes friends with Henry and gets involved helping Henry raise chickens, which allows Tobin an escape from his disconnected father, delinquent siblings, and a troublesome grandmother.

Double Identity

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2005. Double Identity. New York: Simon & Schuster. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-689-87374-3, $15.95.

Twelve-year-old Bethany’s parents suddenly leave her with an unknown aunt; then Bethany learns of a dead sister who looked exactly like Bethany. Now Bethany must discover the truth about herself.

Down Girl and Sit: On the Road

The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

Firegirl

Abbott, Tony. 2006. Firegirl. New York: Little, Brown. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-316-01171-1, $15.99.

When Jessica, horribly disfigured by a car fire, enters Tom Bender’s seventh grade classroom at St. Catherine’s school, she triggers a connection with Tom that changes his perception of himself and his friends.

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip

Taylor, Gaylia. 2006. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. New York: Lee & Low. Trade Edition, ISBN: 1-58430-255-0, $16.95.

 Teased as a child, George Crum could turn feisty. When he became a chef, a fussy customer insisted her French fries weren’t crisp, so feisty George whipped up a new creation: the potato chip.

The Ghost’s Grave

Kehret, Peg. 2005. The Ghost’s Grave. New York: Dutton. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-525-46162-0, $16.99.

Josh is spending the summer at his Aunt Ethel’s house. He encounters a peacock that may be his Aunt Florence and a ghost whose body is buried with a mysterious box of cash.

The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands

Borden, Louise. 2004. The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands. Illustrated by Niki Daly. New York: Margaret McElderry. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-689-84502-2, $18.95.

In the winter of 1941, a ten-year old Dutch boy, Piet Janssen, tests his courage and ice skating skills by outsmarting German soldiers when he leads two children over the icy canals to Belgium.

Hubert Invents the Wheel

Montgomery, Claire and Monte. 2005. Hubert Invents the Wheel. Illustrated by Jeff Shelly. New York: Walker. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-8027-8990-0, $16.95.

Go back five thousand years and meet Hubert, a boy with big dreams and a wild imagination. He’s constantly experimenting and inventing, while his father, Gorp, wants him to join the family hauling business.

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo

Skye, Obert. 2005. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo. Salt Lake City, Utah: Shadow Mountain. Trade Edition, ISBN: 1-59038-369-9, $17.95. Paperback Edition, Simon & Schuster (2006), ISBN: 1-4169-2806-5, $7.99. Audio CD, Shadow Mountain, ISBN: 1-59038-408-3, $29.95. Audio CD, Simon & Schuster (2006), ISBN: 0-743-56200-3, $34.95.

 Leven Thumps, a boy with a power to change the future, begins a mission to save the dreams of humankind and the land of Foo from the evil Sabine.

The Misadventures of Maude March

Couloumbis, Audrey. 2005. The Misadventures of Maude March. New York: Random House. Library Edition, ISBN: 0-375-93245-3, $17.99. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-375-83245-9, $15.95. Paperback Edition, Yearling (2007), ISBN: 0-375-83247-5, $6.50. Audio CD, Listening Library (2006), ISBN: 0-739-33545-6, $45.00. Audio Cassette, Listening Library (2006), ISBN: 0-739-33609-6, $35.00.

Orphans Maude and Sallie head across the frontier to search for their uncle, and their rip-roaring exploits — including horse theft, bank robbery, and murder — begin to resemble the plots of the dime novels Sallie loves to read.

Outside and Inside Mummies

Markle, Sandra. 2005. Outside and Inside Mummies. New York: Walker. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-8027-8966-8, $17.95.

Using new scientific methods, researchers are learning about mummies from the inside out.  X-rays, CT scans, and computers help scientists solve the mysteries about people who lived and died in ancient times.

Pompeii: Lost and Found

Osborne, Mary Pope. 2006. Pompeii: Lost and Found. Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. New York: Knopf. Library Edition, ISBN: 0-375-92889-8, $18.99. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-375-82889-3, $16.95.

Osborne and Christensen ask readers to become archaeologists, imagining the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE and interpreting the daily life of this very “modern” ancient Roman town.

Roxie and the Hooligans

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. 2006. Roxie and the Hooligans. New York: Ginee Seo/Atheneum. Trade Edition, ISBN: 1-4169-0243-0, $15.95.

“Don’t panic” is Roxie’s golden rule of survival. But, it’s not an easy task as she confronts playground bullies, is dumped with the garbage, and encounters a duo of murderous thieves.

Weedflower

Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. New York: Atheneum. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-689-86574-9, $16.95. Audio CD, Listening Library, ISBN: 0-307-28413-1, $30.00.

When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, the American government forces twelve-year-old Sumiko and her family to leave their California flower farm and live in a Japanese internment camp in Poston, Arizona.

Who Stole Halloween?

Freeman, Martha. 2005. Who Stole Halloween? New York: Holiday House. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-8234-1962-2, $16.95.

While trying to solve a mystery involving missing cats, Alex reluctantly lets his friend Yasmeen talk him into allowing his cat Luau become a decoy to catch the culprit.

The Year of the Dog

Lin, Grace. 2006. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown. Trade Edition, ISBN: 0-316-06000-3, $14.95.

Grace is the only Taiwanese-American girl in her class until Melody arrives. She and Grace become friends throughout the “Year of the Dog,” as Grace grows into her cultural identity.