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The Texas Bluebonnet
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Bluebonnet101
Texas Bluebonnet Award
• Reading program– Established in 1979 – by Dr. Janelle Paris (a former SHSU professor)
• Designed for 3rd-6th graders– Public schools– Private schools– Public libraries– Home schools (through Public Libraries or Home
School Associations)
Texas Bluebonnet Award Mission
To Encourage Texas Children to:
• Read more books• Explore a variety of current books• Develop powers of discrimination• Identify their favorite books
Key Players
• Texas Bluebonnet Coordinator, Martha Edmundsen, and the TLA Executive Board
• Jointly sponsored by – the Children’s Round Table (CRT) – and the Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL)
• Two committees within the Texas Library Association (TLA) – Texas Bluebonnet Program Committee
• Promote the TBA program – Newsletter– Conference/webinar style presentations– Sells an entertaining video/DVD presentation to introduce
titles to your students– Sells bookmarks, book seals, certificates, pencils, and
other promotional materials
• Develop activities and resources to support activities for the master book list
– Texas Bluebonnet Selection Committee• Read 100s of titles and select final master list of books
• The winner is announced shortly after the vote
• TBA luncheon during the spring TLA Annual Convention where the winning author(s) speak– Students from each TLA district are chosen to
meet the author(s)
Timeline
• Students Read– August– January of new school year– Or, be smart and start reading new list
soon after students vote in January
• Librarians Prepare– Purchase books as soon as the list is released
(Oct/Nov at Texas Book Festival)– You are working a little ahead of the students
• So you can order titles and have everything processed and shelf ready in time
• So you can pre-read titles on the list
Sound interesting?
Want to join us on thisreading adventure?
$15registration
fee per library
How to Register for TBA
How do I register my library?
• Make your way to the TBA homepage: Texas Bluebonnet Award http://www.txla.org/TBA
Select Forms and Resources on the left sidebar:
Select method of registration: online or print
Online registration begins with “Institution Type” and “School District.”
Select your school and “Look Up Status”
Registration status will be shown and the register now button is available.
Fill in the requested information and complete online registration using a credit card.
To register using the print form, simply click and print.
Fill out the form, attach a check or provide credit card information, and mail to the address at the bottom.
TBA does not accept money orders, so how can you pay for registration?
Ask your PTA/PTO to pay for registration;
Use petty cash;
Talk to your campus book keeper to see what can be done.
Page 5 of the Summer 2010 TBA newsletter might also be helpful : Sole Source Vendor
So, now you have the books.
What’s next?
Read5
ThenDecide!
How can students get 5 titles read in time to vote?
• Students can read the titles themselves• Remember listening to them read counts the
same as reading them yourself– Use them as part of your scheduled library time– Recruit teachers to read them in the classroom– Recruit story time readers to visit classrooms,
playgrounds, family literacy nights, etc.– Promote to your students’ parents to read the titles
at home to their children– Start a book club/lunch club/early morning club, etc.
Don’t think you can convince your staff to participate?
Wait until they see the
resources that await them!
Available Electronic Resources
Now that I’ve registered…what do I get?
http://www.txla.org/tba
Reviews
The Reviews section has gathered professional reviews for you. The reviews offer literary criticism about the books’ content, style, and merit.
They provide a brief summary of the title and give the reviewer’s opinion about the appropriateness of the title for different ages and the reviewer’s overall impression about the quality of the book.
These reviews allow the librarian or teacher an opportunity to decide if a title is appropriate for their needed purpose.
Home of the Bravewritten by Katherine Applegate
School Library Journal Gr 5-7 (starred) American culture, the Minnesota climate, and personal identity are
examined in this moving first-person novel written in free verse. Kek comes to the U.S. from war-torn Sudan via a refugee camp. He arrives on a "flying boat" and is mystified by "not dead" trees in winter. Through his fresh eyes, readers see both the beauty and the ugliness of our way of life. The words themselves are simple, but Applegate introduces some hard ideas. How does someone know he has done well at the end of the day if all the familiar benchmarks are suddenly gone? Kek is both a representative of all immigrants and a character in his own right. A creative thinker, a problem-solver, and an optimist despite the horrors that have befallen him, he is a warm and winning protagonist. He bridges his herding culture and our own by finding a cow that needs his care, even in a metropolitan area, and uses ingenuity when threatened with yet more loss on that front. Kek will be instantly recognizable to immigrants, but he is also well worth meeting by readers living in homogeneous communities."Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL" Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Reader’s Advisories
The Readers Advisory offers suggestions of both fiction and nonfiction titles that are thematically tied into another story.
These provide opportunities for the librarian or teacher to extend students’ reading selections and offer lesson extensions.
Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave Summary: Kek, an African refugee, is confronted by many strange things at the Minneapolis home
of his aunt and cousin, as well as in his fifth-grade classroom, and longs for his missing mother, but finds comfort in the company of a cow and her owner.
If you want to read more books like Home of the Brave, try these topics: cows, refugees Sudan, courage, immigrants, free verse, resiliency.
Bunting, Eve. How Many Days to America?: a Thanksgiving Story . Refugees from a Caribbean island embark on a dangerous boat trip to America where they have a special reason to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Cornwell, Nicki. Christophe's Story. Coping with a new country, a new school and a new language, Christophe wants to tell everyone why he had to leave Rwanda. He is determined to find a way to break through all these barriers so he can share his story.
Read Aloud
A read aloud is a planned oral reading of a book or print excerpt, usually related to a theme or topic of study.
The read aloud can be used to engage the student listener while developing background knowledge, increasing comprehension skills, and fostering critical thinking.
Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave Home of the Brave is the story of Kek, a young refugee from the
Sudan, who misses his mother and feels lost in this strange new country called America. Read “Lessons” p. 23-24. From the flying boat that brought him here to the strange customs and names for things that can be confusing, Kek feels lost until he finds something he remembers, something he can relate to—a cow.
Reader’s TheaterReaders Theater allows students to give a
dramatic presentation of one of the Bluebonnet titles using a script form.
The beauty of these short dramas is that they require no memorization on the actors’ parts, no special costumes, and no prior prep (besides photocopying the scripts).
A Readers’ Theater Adaptation of Katherine Applegate’s Home of the BraveBy Dixie Allen Used with permission of Feiwel and Friends © 2007. Characters:Narrator 1 KekNarrator 2 Dave Narrator 3 Narrator 1: This script comes from the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate. Narrator 2: Kek, a young refugee from the Sudan, has left his war-torn home to come to America to live
with his Aunt Nyatal and his cousin Ganwar. Kek: When the flying boat returns to earth at last, I open my eyes and gaze out the round window.
What is all that white? Where is all the world? The helping man greets me and there are many lines and questions and pieces of paper. At last I follow him outside.
Dave: We call that snow. Isn’t it beautiful? Do you like the cold?Narrator 3: Kek really wants to say, “No, this cold is like claws on his skin!”
So, now you think are
interested?
What do you need to buy?
Buying the BooksRead 5, Then Decide
Buying the Books
Q: Do I have to buy every book on the master list?
A: No. You should consider:• Children’s interests• Relevant content• Reputable reviews• Literary quality
Q: Are you sure? Don’t the kids have to read all the books to participate?
A: No. The Texas Bluebonnet Award motto is:
Buying the Books
Q: How many copies should I get of each book?
A: It’s up to you! Here are some suggestions:• Some libraries buy 3 or more copies of each book.• Some school librarians pull copies of upcoming Bluebonnet nominees at
book fair.• Some libraries get 1 of their copies in an especially resilient binding, like
Bound to Stay Bound.• Some libraries buy a set of Bluebonnet books from a particular vendor.• Some libraries buy different quantities of each book, trying to gauge the
kids’ interest in each title.• Consider purchasing an audio book of some titles.
Buying the Books
Q: Once I have the books, what do I do then?
A: Hit the ground running. Here’s how:• Read the books before you make them available to the kids.• Set up a display shelf or bookcase for the books.• Give the kids a place to talk about the books, like Mackin Book Talk or your
own blog.• Engage the kids with activities.
Buying the Books
Feeling gung ho?
Want to send one of your own
students to meet the
author(s)?
Youth Participation
Select “Forms & Resources”
Select “Youth Participation”
Find your TLA District Number
Select “membership committees and units” under the “About TLA” tab
Select “Districts”
Find your TLA District
Have a little money to spare
and want to promote the Bluebonnet
program more?
Supplies/TBA Store/Video Discussion
• Purchase DVD to promote the Bluebonnet Master List ($30)
[TBA Video Streaming & Reproduction Payment Form This is a separate form on the TBA website. ]• Bookmark sets ($5 per set of 100) • Spine labels to mark Bluebonnet titles ($4 per 100).
To advertise your program:
Texas Bluebonnet Award Supplies
To reward your Bluebonnet readers:• Award certificates ($6 per 25) • Lapel pins ($5) • Pencil sets ($3 per 10)• Mini blue backpacks with the TBA logo ($15)• NEW! Bluebonnet zipper pulls ($1 each)
You can also purchase:• Gold seals ($4 per 12) to mark the winning title. • Sticky note pads ($4 per 2) for your library
communication.
How to OrderONLINE TLA secure on-line store.
http://www.txla.org/TBA
BY MAIL Print and complete the pdf order form.
IN PERSON Purchase supplies during conference at the TLA Store.
BY PHONE Place your order by phone using a credit card.Call Julie Serafini at 1-800-580-2852 However, it is much easier to order online!
OR
Note: The DVD and bookmarks for the new list released in Nov. are always available at Conference first. These two items are in production prior to conference.
Other Ways to Order
DVD 2010-2011The Bluebonnet Detective Agency:The Case of the Missing Medallion
2010-2011 DVD Purchasing • Order DVD online, by mail, in person or by phone ($30) • TBA Video Streaming & Reproduction
– Once payment is received an email will be sent to the individual who placed the order. It will contain the FTP site along with the user name and password necessary to download the file.
– The price structure is as follows:• $250 - 10 or fewer campuses or copies• $300 - 11-20 campuses• $400 - 21-30 campuses• $500 - 31-40 campuses• $600 - 41-50 campuses• $700 - 51+ campuses
Questions about your order:
Call Julie Serafini1-800-580-2852
Happy Shopping!
Phew!
Once the books are read, how do
your students vote?
How to Vote
Voting
• Be sure they eligible.•Find a way to track your students’ reading progress.•We have a few methods of tracking available on the website.
Keeping Track
11 Birthdays
All Stations Distress
The Cabinet of
Wonders
Down Down Down
Sparrow Girl
Mudshark
Squi
rrel
’s W
orld
Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
Dying to Meet You
The Uglified Duckling
The Hinky
Pink
Surf
er o
f the
C
entu
ry Pirates
Tap Dancing on
the Roof
The Fantasti
c
Undersea
Life of
Jacques
Cousteau
Jake Ransom and the Skull
King’s Shadow
Texas Bluebonnet Reading Program
2010-2011
If you read, or have read to you, one of the 20 books listed, do the following:
• When you finish reading the entire book, color the corresponding area of the Texas map.
• If someone else reads the book to you, you may color that area on the map.
• If you read or have read to you at least 5 of the 20 books listed you qualify to vote in January, 2011 for your favorite!
Name:_________________________
Room #__________
Teacher _______________________
Umbrella Summer
14 Cows for America
Hom
e of the
Brave
That Book Woman
When to vote
• Voting is due to the TLA Offices by the last Friday of January by Midnight. • Select a day or days that do not interfere with the school calendar.• The actually voting can be done in whatever way best suits your set up.
This page becomes“live” in January.
Two ways to have students vote
2010 TBA Ballot My grade level is _____ Put an X beside the name of the book for which you wish to vote. ___1 .The Penderwicks on Gardam St (Birdsall) ___2. Surprises According to Hunphrey (Birney) ___3. Nic Bishop Frogs (Bishop) ___4. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach (Deedy) ___5. The Gollywhopper Games (Feldman) ___6 .The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster (Flaherty) ___7. Piper Reed: Navy Brat (Holt) ___8. What To Do About Alice? (Kerley) ___9. Savvy ( Law) ___10. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls (Look) ___11. Two-Minute Drill (Lupica) ___12. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! (Mora) ___13. The Hound of Rowan (Neff) ___14. We Are the Ship (Nelson) ___15. Lady Liberty: A Biography (Rappaport) ___16. Pale Male: Citizen Hawk (Schulman) ___17. Maybelle in the Soup (Speck) ___18. Where I Live (Spinelli) ___19. Help Me, Mr. Mutt! (Stevens/Crummel) ___20. Someone Named Eva (Wolf)
2010 TBA Ballot My grade level is _____ Put an X beside the name of the book for which you wish to vote. ___1. The Penderwicks on Gardam St (Birdsall ___2. Surprises According to Hunphrey (Birney) ___3. Nic Bishop Frogs (Bishop) ___4. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach (Deedy) ___5. The Gollywhopper Games (Feldman) ___6. The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster (Flaherty) ___7. Piper Reed: Navy Brat (Holt) ___8. What To Do About Alice? (Kerley) ___9. . Savvy ( Law) ___10. . Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls (Look) ___11. Two-Minute Drill (Lupica) ___12. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! (Mora) ___13. The Hound of Rowan (Neff) ___14. We Are the Ship (Nelson) ___15. Lady Liberty: A Biography (Rappaport) ___16. . Pale Male: Citizen Hawk (Schulman) ___17. Maybelle in the Soup (Speck) ___18 Where I Live (Spinelli) ___19. Help Me, Mr. Mutt! (Stevens/Crummel) ___20. . Someone Named Eva (Wolf)
School districts electronic systems
Irving ISD graciously lets Bluebonnet voters use their website. It is made available in early January. That link is:
www.irvingisd.net/bluebonnet
Sending in votes:
• Final tallies for each title are all that are sent in—not all votes.
• For snail mail, the tally sheet is on the website. • Vote tallies are usually sent electronically. All
instructions are detailed on the Voting resource page.
• Electronic voting does not send you votes into the TLA Offices.
Winner announced:
The winner is usually announced several days after votes are due.
The TBA coordinator and committee members contact information can be found online.
The Texas Bluebonnet
Awardhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">CC BY-NC 2.0</a></div>
Bluebonnet101