Great Reads for your Kids
December 22, 2004
Contributing Writer: Paloma Cruz
Looking for some great books for your kids? Try the Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) for a place to start. Then look for these at your library, your local bookstore or online.
This program was established in 1979 to encourage Texas children to read more books, explore a variety of current books, develop powers of discrimination, and identify their favorite books. For additional information, visit the Texas Library Association site at www.txla.org/groups/tba/nominees.html.
Texas Bluebonnet 2004-2005 Master List
Andrews-Goebel, Nancy. The Pot That Juan Built. David Diaz, Illustrator. Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2002. ISBN 1-58430-038-8. Spanish Language Edition: La vasija que Juan fabricó. Translated by Eunice Cortes, ISBN 1-58430-229-1.Blake, Robert J. Togo. Philomel Books, 2002, ISBN 0-399-23381-4.
Chandra, Deborah and Madeleine Comora. George Washington’s Teeth. Brock Cole, Illustrator. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003. ISBN 0-374-32534-0.
Dowell, Frances O’Roark. Where I’d Like To Be. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003. ISBN 0-689-84420-4. Audiobook: Listening Library, ISBN 0-8072-1574-0.
Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN 0-618-05252-6.
Gordon, Amy. The Gorillas of Gill Park. Holiday House, 2003. ISBN 0-8234-1751-4.
Green, Michelle Y. A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2002. ISBN 0-8037-2661-9. Paperback:Puffin, ISBN 0-14-240072-6.
Grimes, Nikki. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Floyd Cooper, Illustrator. HarperCollins Publishers/Amistad, 2002. ISBN 0-688-13156-5.
Haas, Jessie. Runaway Radish. Margot Apple, Illustrator. Greenwillow Books, 2001. ISBN 10-06-029159-1.
Janeczko, Paul B. Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. Melissa Sweet, Illustrator. HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-688-16252-5.
Johnston, Tony. Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio. Raúl Colón, Illustrator. The Blue Sky Press, 2001. ISBN 0-439-18936-5. Paperback: Scholastic Signature, ISBN 0-439-23384-4.
Krull, Kathleen. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. Yuyi Morales, Illustrator. Harcourt, Inc., 2003. ISBN 0-15-201437-3. Spanish Language Edition: Cosechando esperanza: La historia de Cesar Chavez. Translated by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. ISBN 0-15-204755-7.
McKissack, Patricia C. Tippy Lemmey. Susan Keeter, Illustrator. Simon & Schuster, 2002. ISBN 0-68985-594-X. Paperback: Aladdin, ISBN 0-689-85019-0.
Miller, Debbie S. Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights. Jon Van Zyle, Illustrator. Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 2003. ISBN 0-8027-8857-2.
Mundis, Hester. My Chimp Friday: The Nana Banana Chronicles. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002. ISBN 0-689-83837-9.
Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale. Michael Dooling, Illustrator. Henry Holt and Company, 2002. ISBN 0-8050-6368-4.
O’Connor, Barbara. Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia. Farrar Straus Giroux/Frances Foster Books, 2003. ISBN 0-374-32258-9.
Salisbury, Graham. Lord of the Deep. Delacorte Press, 2001.ISBN 0-385-90013-9. Paperback: Laurel-Leaf, ISBN 0-440-22911-1. Audiobook: Recorded Books, ISBN 0-7887-9361-6.
Williams, Vera B. Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart. Greenwillow Books, 2001. ISBN 0-06-029461-2. Paperback: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-057182-9. Audiobook: Live Oak Media, ISBN 1-5911-2186-8, (cassette & hardback).
Woodson, Jacqueline. Locomotion. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003. ISBN 0-399-23115-3. Paperback: Puffin, ISBN 0-14-240149-8. BK, HB, KIR, PW, SLJ. Audiobook: Recorded Books, ISBN 1402539495.
Recently in School Bound:
Writing well for the web
...online readers scan material in an attempt to quickly determine if it's relevant to them. This suggests that we should make our online documents as "scan friendly" as possible.Material written for print, though, often starts with an introduction and builds slowly towards the main argument. Conclusions and recommendations are usually placed at the end...
More Tips for Better Writing: Hyphens
Your readers judge you on the way you write.This applies whether you're writing advertising copy, a college or business report, a web site, or the next great novel; and it is these judgments that will determine the success or failure of your venture...
...Good, solid writing skills are necessary whether you're writing for business, college or fiction. In this article, I'm going to look at a frequently misunderstood area: hyphens...
Teaching Your Kids About Money
You need to decide when you give your children money and why. Some parents prefer to give a regular allowance with no association with getting chores done, etc. Others have a set rate given provided chores are done, while still others have a set rate per chore completed. There’s no right or wrong way, but you do need to be clear on when your kids get money. Don’t forget to consider ways in which your kids may earn extra money...
Lunch-the Frugal Way!
It seems that school starts earlier every year. So it's time to start thinking about what to put in those school lunches every morning...
Why Does Homework Cause So Much Grief?
Does homework cause tension in your house? Is the sense of frustration becoming too much to take? If so, you are not alone. Everyday, I receive calls and emails from parents who are fed up with the homework battles. Most parents wonder with exasperation, “Why does homework cause such a major problem!?” In order to answer that question, it is important to consider many factors...
Writing: Is It A Skill, Craft, Or Gift?
There are many different types of writers. Those who prefer to compose in long-hand or can only write on an old-fashioned manual typewriter. Those who write to music, demand complete silence, or create best surrounded by noise. You have the writers who must plan and outline before they can begin and those who find even talking about a project before it is drafted can stifle their creativity. But one of the most controversial divisions among writers is about whether writing is a skill, craft, or gift....
Teaching Your Child To Save
It's hard to know how to teach our children the value of a dollar. When they start getting allowance and growing up - they seem to want to buy it all. There are some ways we can help them appreciate how much they have, while learning to spend on only necessary items...
SAT or ACT?
There are two major college entrance examinations administered in the United States today: the SAT and the ACT. Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are designed to allow college admissions officers to judge all students by a common measurement. Scores on these tests can compensate for differences in high school curriculum, grade inflation, and quality of teaching. In addition, they serve as a reliable predictor of how you will perform academically in your freshman year of college...