Each year, the Texas Bluebonnet Award selects a list of recently authored children’s books (3rd to 6th grade levels). Students across the state are encouraged to read as many books off the list as possible. Classes that participate in the program are given a deadline to vote on which book they liked best. The votes are tallied statewide, and the coveted Bluebonnet Award is presented to the author who received the most votes.
Several Brownwood schools participated at varying levels including Woodland Heights Elementary, Brownwood Intermediate, East Elementary, Coggin Elementary, and Northwest Elementary.
On Friday, January 27th, third graders at Woodland Heights entered their votes, and during the polls students were served blue punch and cookies shaped and decorated like bluebonnets. In addition, the school held a contest to see who read the most Bluebonnet Books and on Monday, January 30th, Woodland Heights Principal Jenny Swanzy awarded the winners. First Place went to Erica Talamantez, with John Murray and Bryanna Galvan tying for Second Place.
Third graders at Woodland Heights celebrated their accomplishments on Friday, February 3rd, with a pizza party for those who read five or more Bluebonnet books.
Brownwood Intermediate students also participated in the vote January 30th, with a unique presentation. Principal Charles Chesser emceed the event decked out in a cape and superhero shirt as more than half the campus cast their votes. BIS also formed the Cool Blue Club as another incentive for participation. “This is the elite club for the students and staff that read all 20 of the Bluebonnet Books,” said Carol Gilbreth, BIS Digital Media Specialist. “They all get to go out to eat with our Bluebonnet Superhero Mr. Chesser.”
This year, the art, choir and computer classes at BIS also joined in the festivities by preparing a special presentation to show off their skills as they celebrated each of the Bluebonnet nominees.
The student-driven vote makes the award quite special to the author whose book is ultimately selected, and according to the TBA (Texas Bluebonnet Award) website, at the TLA annual conference, ten children who participated in the reading and voting are selected randomly and will present the author with the Bluebonnet Award.
More information regarding the award and the current list of books can be found on the Texas Library Association website (
