Texas Bluebonnet Books 2025-2026

Dogtown

Applegate, Katherine,


School Library Journal starred, August 2023. Publishers Weekly, July 2023. Booklist, September 2023. Horn Book, November 2023. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), November 2023. Kirkus Review, August 2023. Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since her owners unwittingly left her with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town. Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home, and Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves. When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.
Date Published:2024

School Library Journal starred, August 2023. Publishers Weekly, July 2023. Booklist, September 2023. Horn Book, November 2023. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), November 2023. Kirkus Review, August 2023. Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since her owners unwittingly left her with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town. Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home, and Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves. When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.

Date Published:2024

Erno Rubik and his magic cube

Aradhya, Kerry,


Booklist, April 01, 2024. Kirkus, March 15, 2024. Horn Book starred, July 2024. This first picture book biography of Erno Rubik, creator of the Rubik's Cube, reveals the obsession, imagination, and engineering process behind the creation of a bestselling puzzle that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Date Published:2024

The girl who figured it out : the inspiring true story of wheelchair athlete Minda Dentler becoming an Ironman World champion /

Dentler, Minda,


The uplifting true story of Minda Dentler, the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship triathlon. Minda Dentler made history when she became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the world's toughest triathlon, using only her arms to finish a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile marathon. But the journey there wasn't easy. Minda was paralyzed as an infant in India after contracting polio, and was left in the care of an orphanage.
Date Published:2024

The uplifting true story of Minda Dentler, the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship triathlon. Minda Dentler made history when she became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the world's toughest triathlon, using only her arms to finish a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile marathon. But the journey there wasn't easy. Minda was paralyzed as an infant in India after contracting polio, and was left in the care of an orphanage.

Date Published:2024

Haiku, ew : celebrating the disgusting side of nature /

Brunelle, Lynn,


Booklist, April 15, 2024. Kirkus, March 15, 2024. Nature is beautiful! It's magnificent! It's amazing! And it's also super gross! Fourteen hilariously icky haiku present the grosser side of nature. Check out flamingos that keep cool by pooping on their legs. And butterflies that emerge from oozy caterpillar soup. The haiku are accompanied by additional facts that will delight―and disgust―readers of all ages.
Date Published:2024

Booklist, April 15, 2024. Kirkus, March 15, 2024. Nature is beautiful! It's magnificent! It's amazing! And it's also super gross! Fourteen hilariously icky haiku present the grosser side of nature. Check out flamingos that keep cool by pooping on their legs. And butterflies that emerge from oozy caterpillar soup. The haiku are accompanied by additional facts that will delight―and disgust―readers of all ages.

Date Published:2024

Hannah Sharpe : cartoon detective /

Tashjian, Janet,


"Christy Ottaviano Books." Publishers Weekly, July 24, 2023. Booklist, October 01, 2023. School Library Journal, January 26, 2024. Hannah Sharpe, an eleven-year-old cartoonist with Autism spectrum disorder, uses her curiosity, creativity, and amazing memory to investigate her family's newest Airbnb resident.
Date Published:2023

Invisible Isabel

Pla, Sally J.,


Booklist, June 01, 2024. Kirkus, May 15, 2024. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July 2024. Publishers Weekly, April 29, 2024. Isabel has never felt more invisible. She has so many fears: being abandoned by her old friends at school, having to speak to strangers in public, taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, it seems like they get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?
Date Published:2024

Booklist, June 01, 2024. Kirkus, May 15, 2024. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July 2024. Publishers Weekly, April 29, 2024. Isabel has never felt more invisible. She has so many fears: being abandoned by her old friends at school, having to speak to strangers in public, taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, it seems like they get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?

Date Published:2024

Legendarios, Volume 1 : wrath of the rain god.

Valenti, Karla Arenas,


Nine-year-old twins, Emma and Martín, couldn’t be more different in their personalities, interests, and even their looks. But one thing they absolutely agree on is that moving from Cuernavaca, Mexico, to Illinois is a terrible idea. Unfortunately, they’re not given a choice when their dad lands his dream job as a middle school principal in Chicago. To help the twins stay connected to their Mexican heritage, their abuela gifts them a book of Mexican legends. The book turns out to be more than a going away present…it’s a magical item that transports them directly into the legends!
Date Published:2024

Nine-year-old twins, Emma and Martín, couldn’t be more different in their personalities, interests, and even their looks. But one thing they absolutely agree on is that moving from Cuernavaca, Mexico, to Illinois is a terrible idea. Unfortunately, they’re not given a choice when their dad lands his dream job as a middle school principal in Chicago. To help the twins stay connected to their Mexican heritage, their abuela gifts them a book of Mexican legends. The book turns out to be more than a going away present…it’s a magical item that transports them directly into the legends!

Date Published:2024

Legends of Lotus Island, Book 1 : the guardian test /

Soontornvat, Christina.


Kirkus, January 15, 2023. Publishers Weekly, January 23, 2023. Booklist, February 15, 2023. Young Plum is shocked to discover that she's been accepted to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island, an elite school where kids learn how to transform into Guardians, magical creatures who are sworn to protect the natural world. To her dismay, Plum struggles at school. While her classmates begin to transform into amazing creatures, Plum can't even seem to magic up a single feather!
Date Published:2024

Kirkus, January 15, 2023. Publishers Weekly, January 23, 2023. Booklist, February 15, 2023. Young Plum is shocked to discover that she's been accepted to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island, an elite school where kids learn how to transform into Guardians, magical creatures who are sworn to protect the natural world. To her dismay, Plum struggles at school. While her classmates begin to transform into amazing creatures, Plum can't even seem to magic up a single feather!

Date Published:2024

The liars society

Gerber, Alyson,


Weatherby is a fish out of water. When she lands a scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, she's excited to be in the same world as her dad, but Weatherby has a secret she'll risk everything to protect, one that could destroy her new life. Every member of Jack's wealthy and privileged family has made their mark at the Boston School. Everyone, that is, except for Jack, who is entirely mediocre, but Jack has a secret of his own, one with the power to ruin everything. When the money for their school trip to a private island is stolen, Jack and Weatherby are invited to play a high-stakes game and solve the mystery of the missing money.
Date Published:2024

Weatherby is a fish out of water. When she lands a scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, she's excited to be in the same world as her dad, but Weatherby has a secret she'll risk everything to protect, one that could destroy her new life. Every member of Jack's wealthy and privileged family has made their mark at the Boston School. Everyone, that is, except for Jack, who is entirely mediocre, but Jack has a secret of his own, one with the power to ruin everything. When the money for their school trip to a private island is stolen, Jack and Weatherby are invited to play a high-stakes game and solve the mystery of the missing money.

Date Published:2024

A plate of hope : the inspiring story of Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen /

Frankel, Erin,


Booklist, January 15, 2024. Kirkus, December 01, 2023. Publishers Weekly, December 11, 2023. José Andrés’s love of cooking began as a young boy in Spain as he gathered the wood to make the fire that would cook the paella just right. José loved everything about the sizzling olive oil, the mounds of chopped vegetables, and the smell of saffron. When he left home, he realized he wanted to tell stories with food. And tell them he did, creating magic with the seeds of ripe tomatoes and pomegranates and cheese. His dreams grew until they were as big as the stars in the sky. He thought, No one should ever go hungry. I want to help feed the world -- and World Central Kitchen was born. With a lyrical text and stunning illustrations, here is a picture book biography about a world-renowned humanitarian and chef that’s sure to inspire a new generation of community helpers.
Date Published:2024

Booklist, January 15, 2024. Kirkus, December 01, 2023. Publishers Weekly, December 11, 2023. José Andrés’s love of cooking began as a young boy in Spain as he gathered the wood to make the fire that would cook the paella just right. José loved everything about the sizzling olive oil, the mounds of chopped vegetables, and the smell of saffron. When he left home, he realized he wanted to tell stories with food. And tell them he did, creating magic with the seeds of ripe tomatoes and pomegranates and cheese. His dreams grew until they were as big as the stars in the sky. He thought, No one should ever go hungry. I want to help feed the world -- and World Central Kitchen was born. With a lyrical text and stunning illustrations, here is a picture book biography about a world-renowned humanitarian and chef that’s sure to inspire a new generation of community helpers.

Date Published:2024

Un plato de esperanza : la inspiradora historia del Chef Jose Andres y World Central Kitchen /

Frankel, Erin,


Translation of: A plate of hope : the inspiring story of Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen. Booklist, Provides a children's illustrated biography of chef Jose Andres, chronicling his interest in food from an early age, how he flourished as a renowned chef and restaurateur, and used his love of food to start the non-profit organization, World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in the aftermath of natural disasters. Includes an author's note and additional resources.
Date Published:2024

Translation of: A plate of hope : the inspiring story of Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen. Booklist, Provides a children's illustrated biography of chef Jose Andres, chronicling his interest in food from an early age, how he flourished as a renowned chef and restaurateur, and used his love of food to start the non-profit organization, World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in the aftermath of natural disasters. Includes an author's note and additional resources.

Date Published:2024

Scare school diaries : welcome to scare school /

Lerner, Jarrett,


Kirkus, May 15, 2024. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July 2024. Publishers Weekly, April 29, 2024. Bash is a young ghost who has never been good at scaring people. He is nervous about his first day at Scare School, where he must learn to master the necessary skills to become a successful ghost.
Date Published:2024

Stuntboy, in-between time

Reynolds, Jason,


Portico Reeves is the greatest superhero a lot of people have never heard of. He likes it that way—then no one can get in the way of him from keeping other other people safe. Super safe. He’s Stuntboy. He’s got the moves. And the saves. Except. There’s been one major fail. He couldn’t save his parents from becoming Xs. Which is a word that sounds like coughing up a hairball. But don’t talk to him about the divorce, because of the hairball thing, and also, it gives Portico the frets. What’s also giving him frets is his parents living on two separate floors in their apartment building. He’s never fully with one parent or the other. He’s in-between, all the time. The in-between time. And the elevator is busted, so to get between floors means getting past the bullies who hang in the stairwells. So when Portico and new friend, Herbert, and best best friend, Zola, discover an empty apartment , unlocked, they are psyched . It’s a perfect hideout, and hangout, and it’s not half anyone's it’s all theirs. So they decide to make it their own…let’s say with stunts of the drawing kind. Problem is, that gives some Grown Up People the frets, which leads to double frets for Portico. And he’s not sure his arsenal of stunts can combat that.
Date Published:2023

Portico Reeves is the greatest superhero a lot of people have never heard of. He likes it that way—then no one can get in the way of him from keeping other other people safe. Super safe. He’s Stuntboy. He’s got the moves. And the saves. Except. There’s been one major fail. He couldn’t save his parents from becoming Xs. Which is a word that sounds like coughing up a hairball. But don’t talk to him about the divorce, because of the hairball thing, and also, it gives Portico the frets. What’s also giving him frets is his parents living on two separate floors in their apartment building. He’s never fully with one parent or the other. He’s in-between, all the time. The in-between time. And the elevator is busted, so to get between floors means getting past the bullies who hang in the stairwells. So when Portico and new friend, Herbert, and best best friend, Zola, discover an empty apartment , unlocked, they are psyched . It’s a perfect hideout, and hangout, and it’s not half anyone's it’s all theirs. So they decide to make it their own…let’s say with stunts of the drawing kind. Problem is, that gives some Grown Up People the frets, which leads to double frets for Portico. And he’s not sure his arsenal of stunts can combat that.

Date Published:2023

Volcanoes

Beckerman, Nell Cross, 1973-,


A rumble. A tremble. A grumble. Growing, growling, getting hot. When will it... POP?! Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman leads children on an adventure through the radioactive wonders that are volcanoes. From deep down on the ocean floor to extraterrestrial volcanoes.
Date Published:2024