One of the great joys of reading is that books can take us places that we could never go. The 2007- 2008 Texas Bluebonnet Master List creates such a journey, allowing readers to log millions of literary frequent flyer miles – miles that can be used for widening their imaginations, their critical reading skills, and their pure pleasure in the written word.
These young readers will visit a new world, the land of Foo (Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo), and revisit a familiar one in an unusual Cinderella story (Bella at Midnight). They will also encounter bullies and crooks (Roxie and the Hooligans), as well as a few Western outlaws and kind-hearted souls (The Misadventures of Maude March). They’ll watch elephants dance (Ballet of the Elephants), and visit the kitchen where potato chips were first fried (George Crum and the Saratoga Chip).
Some stops on this grand literary tour will help children discover courage: bravery during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 (The Earth Dragon Awakes); quiet courage in a Japanese interment camp (Weedflower); and simple valor during World War II (The Greatest Skating Race). They’ll visit Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the excavation of the site (Pompeii: Lost and Found), and they’ll watch scientists uncover the mysteries of the past through technology that examines mummies (Outside and Inside Mummies).
But readers will also discover a humorous side to history as they travel to a time where technology didn’t even include what we now consider basic tools (Hubert Invents the Wheel). These readers will also find a couple of ghosts along the way (The Blue Ghost and The Ghost’s Grave); a catnapping (Who Stole Halloween?); and a science fiction puzzle that lets them wonder what it is that makes us human (Double Identity). And perhaps they’ll also think about what it is that makes a dog a dog in a canine tale that has the power to create howls of laughter (Down Girl and Sit: On the Road).
Many children will find themselves in stories of a quiet boy who must figure out the connections between inner and outer beauty (Firegirl); a loner who must cope with an imperfect family (Chicken Boy); and a young girl who finds her place in today’s world and dreams of the future (The Year of the Dog).
As librarians, each of us has the joy of job switching, of becoming travel agents as we help youngsters navigate that wonderful world of reading. It’s going to be the trip of a lifetime. Enjoy!