Amari and the Night BrothersB. B. AlstonAmari Peters refuses to believe that her long-missing brother Quinton is dead, even after police say otherwise and classmates bully her for holding on to hope. A ticking briefcase in Quinton’s closet contains an invitation, written in his handwriting, to try out for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Convinced the secret organization may help her find him, Amari must accept that magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural beings are real.All readersView book detailsTexas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2022-2023
The 2022 through 2023 edition contains 20 selections published by the Texas Library Association. It records one Texas Bluebonnet cycle, beginning with the committee's Master List and leading to the student vote. Students in Grades 3 through 6 read from the 20-book list and vote for a favorite.
2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master ListSee the original list
Selections20
Published byTexas Library Association
SectionsAll readers
All readers
20 selections
Amari and the Night BrothersB. B. AlstonAmari Peters refuses to believe that her long-missing brother Quinton is dead, even after police say otherwise and classmates bully her for holding on to hope. A ticking briefcase in Quinton’s closet contains an invitation, written in his handwriting, to try out for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Convinced the secret organization may help her find him, Amari must accept that magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural beings are real.All readersView book details
Barefoot Dreams of Petra LunaAlda P. DobbsAfter soldiers take Petra’s father, she promises to look after the family still with her: her grandmother, younger sister Amelia, and baby brother Luisito. As their town burns, they head north across the desert in search of safety and a chance to reunite. Petra also clings to a personal hope of learning to read, even when her grandmother warns her that such hopes are not meant to travel far.All readersLexile Text Measure 730LATOS Book Level 4.8View book details
Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret HeroMegan HoytThis nonfiction account follows Italian cyclist Gino Bartali, who won the 1938 Tour de France before World War II changed life in Italy. During the war, Bartali used cycling to help save Jewish families. The book connects his athletic career with his secret role in the effort to protect Jewish lives as tanks entered Florence and the conflict transformed the country.All readersView book details
Becoming Muhammad Ali: A NovelJames Patterson, Kwame AlexanderThis novel looks back at Cassius Clay’s childhood in segregated Louisville, where he has a close family, a beloved grandfather, and many friends. His friend Lucky narrates the prose chapters, while Cassius speaks in verse. After someone steals Cassius’s new bicycle, he arrives at Joe Martin’s gym and begins boxing. The story follows his early amateur development and frames it with his 1958 Golden Gloves championship appearance.All readersLexile Text Measure 1010LATOS Book Level 5.4View book details
Billy Miller Makes a WishKevin HenkesOn his eighth birthday, Billy Miller wishes for something exciting, then hears sirens outside and learns that his elderly neighbor, Mr. Tooley, has died. During the following week, Billy, his mother, and his younger sister Sal begin clearing the basement while his artist father is away. A bat, old love letters, sympathy cards, marker tattoos, and Sal’s post-office game shape a week of unsettling and comic family events.All readersWord Count 17557View book details
The Hungry PlaceJessie HaasPrincess has known a sheltered life, with treats and an elderly owner who keeps her apart from other ponies to preserve her show-ring condition. After her owner suffers a stroke, Princess is placed with a dishonest trainer and his wife. When they abandon the farm, she and several hardier ponies are left without food. Elsewhere, Rae is determined to make her wish for a pony come true. The story brings Rae and the neglected pony together as they find healing.All readersLexile Text Measure 660LATOS Book Level 4.5View book details
J.D. and the Great Barber BattleJ. DillardOn the eve of third grade, eight-year-old J.D. receives a disastrous haircut from his mother. He turns that setback into a barber business that begins to succeed. But another barber sees J.D. as a rival and wants a confrontation. Illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts, the story follows J.D. as he makes a new venture out of an embarrassing problem while navigating school and a brewing business conflict.All readersView book details
The Lion of MarsJennifer L. HolmBell lives in an American settlement on Mars with four teenagers, six adults, and a cat. His everyday concerns include cake and a roommate whose snoring bothers him. When a mysterious illness sickens all the adults, the children must join together in unexpected ways. As the disease threatens their colony, the young residents uncover secrets and work to save their home on Mars.All readersLexile Text Measure 30LATOS Book Level 4View book details
Long LostJacqueline WestEleven-year-old Fiona reads a book that seemingly does not exist. Her family then moves to a new town for her older sister’s figure-skating club, separating Fiona from her close group of friends. Feeling alone and out of place, Fiona visits the town library, a sprawling mansion given by an heiress who died long ago. A mysterious book begins to blur reality as Fiona encounters secrets and restless spirits.All readersLexile Text Measure 731LATOS Book Level 4.7View book details
Memoirs of a TortoiseDevin ScillianOliver the tortoise and his human, Ike, have shared life for so long that they are both eighty years old and seem almost like twins. Told through Oliver’s eyes, the story follows the tortoise after Ike, his human age-mate, dies. It approaches the fact that every life ends with gentleness and humor, focusing on Oliver’s experience of losing his longtime companion.All readersView book details
NightingaleDeva FaganLark is an orphan who survives by stealing. When she accidentally takes a magic sword belonging to young Prince Jasper, she becomes caught in a conflict that has lasted for centuries. Lark may be the Nightingale, the figure meant to stop an ancient evil. Her heist opens a fantasy story of magic, unexpected heroes, friendship, and a struggle against a long-standing threat.All readersLexile Text Measure 660LATOS Book Level 4.3View book details
No Place for MonstersKory MerrittLevi and Kat confront a hidden menace in Cowslip Grove, a suburban town whose neatly mowed lawns, tidy sidewalks, and ice-cream-truck sounds suggest that everything is in order. As they uncover a darker side of their neighborhood, the two friends must face their fears. Their efforts are tied to a threat that could cause both the town and the friends themselves to disappear.All readersLexile Text Measure 619LATOS Book Level 4View book details
Once Upon a CamelKathi AppeltSet in Texas in 1910, this story follows Zada, an elderly camel named for Scheherazade. Zada carries stories of camel races, ocean crossings, army missions, and a mountain lion she outsmarted. Now the last camel in Texas, she shelters two young kestrels whose parents are missing. When a huge dust storm arrives, Zada comforts the chicks with stories and takes them on another desert adventure.All readersLexile Text Measure 820LATOS Book Level 5.6View book details
The One Thing You’d SaveLinda Sue ParkA teacher asks her class to imagine that their homes are on fire and choose one object to save after people and animals have already evacuated. The students answer in linked sijo poems, a Korean form dating to the fourteenth century. Their choices range from practical items, including glasses and medicine, to meaningful keepsakes such as a knitted sweater or a baseball-game program. Dialogue and monologues create a classroom conversation about what matters most.All readersView book details
Rock by Rock: The Fantastical Garden of Nek ChandJennifer BradburyThis picture-book biography tells the story of self-taught artist Nek Chand. After leaving his childhood home because of the partition of India, Chand created a sculpture garden hidden in the jungle as a reminder of that home. His private art project later became a celebrated site in India. The book includes a timeline and afterword alongside the account of Chand’s garden-making.All readersView book details
StellaMcCall HoyleStella is a former service beagle trained from puppyhood to use her strong sense of smell to detect dangerous chemicals. She must face her fears and use that ability to save a girl’s life. The story follows a dog whose specialized training becomes important when someone needs help. Stella’s fear and her work as a service dog shape the events described.All readersView book details
Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem GlobetrottersSuzanne SladeThis nonfiction account traces the Harlem Globetrotters across a century and looks back to the Black high school basketball team from which they emerged. Facing racism, team members became known worldwide for both their basketball ability and theatrical play. The book includes energetic illustrations and archival photographs, along with a timeline, sources, and notes. It also highlights signature on-court feats such as spinning a ball on one finger, fast mini-dribbling, and ricochet head shots.All readersView book details
TwinsVarian JohnsonAfrican American twin sisters Francine and Maureen begin sixth grade with very different outlooks. Reserved and anxious Maureen is unhappy about joining Cadet Corps and finds that she shares few classes with Francine. Confident, sociable Francine decides to seek the class presidency. When Maureen is offered extra credit for entering the same contest, the sisters become rivals, and their campaigns put pressure on friends and on their relationship at home. This graphic novel follows the twins as they try to hold onto their connection while establishing separate identities.All readersLexile Text Measure GN360LATOS Book Level 2.9View book details
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race MassacrCarole Boston WeatherfordWritten in verse, this picture book recounts the history of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It first portrays Greenwood as a Black district with its own schools, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, and movie theaters. Over May 31 and June 1, an armed mob looted homes and businesses while Black families fled. The book records how a thriving community was transformed during those two days of racial violence.All readersView book details
WillodeenKatherine ApplegateIn a village, the elimination of screechers, creatures regarded as unlovable, is followed by the disappearance of the much-loved hummingbears. A girl works to solve the mystery of the missing creatures and protect her village. The story uses magic to connect the fate of animals that are rejected with the loss of animals the community values, creating an environmental plea within a fantastical setting.All readersLexile Text Measure 610LATOS Book Level 4.2View book details