Every year, thousands of Texas students help decide which books deserve one of the state’s most respected honors for children’s literature: the Texas Bluebonnet Award. This year is no different for LISD either. More than just a book prize, this program is designed to spark a lifelong love of reading by putting students at the center of the selection process. The Texas Bluebonnet Award is open to students in grades 3 through 6. Each year, a committee of Texas librarians selects 20 high-quality books that represent a wide range of genres, themes, and reading levels. From laugh-out-loud humor and fantasy adventures to realistic stories and powerful nonfiction. The list appeals to many different types of readers. Using this program helps students discover new authors and genres they might not normally pick up on their own. What also makes this program unique is that Texas students choose the winner, and our librarians make sure that students participate every year. After reading at least five books from the annual Bluebonnet List, students vote for their favorite title, giving young readers a real voice in the literary world. LISD pushes this program beyond just reading. Our librarians host book clubs, reading challenges, book talks, trivia contests, and virtual author visits. Our librarians turn reading into a shared experience and help build strong reading communities on campuses. For many students, the program is their first introduction to voting, discussion, and literary analysis. The winning book at Capitol this year was Volcanoes by Nell Beckerman. The winning book at South was Pedro's Yo-Yos by Rob Penas. And the winning book at LMS was The Girl Who Figured It Out by Minda Dentler. We look forward to seeing which book wins the state! Video