The Bluestem Award

District #86 3rd through 5th grader students will be taking part in a project to choose the winning book to receive the Illinois Bluestem Award for this year. The Bluestem Award is a new award this year that is sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists.

In February, after the students have been exposed to the nominated books, they will vote for their favorite. The votes will then be submitted to ISLMA to be counted toward the winning book. The winner will be announced in April, 2011. Here is a list of the nominated books.

	Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows		Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman
	Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop		Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Mark Tyler Nobleman
	No Talking by Andrew Clements		How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
	BFG by Roald Dahl		The Houdini Box by Brian Selznik
	Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi		Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick
	Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson		Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli
	Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell		Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln by Judith St. George
	Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine		Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin VanDraanen
	The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin		Oggie Cooder by Sara Weeks
	Being Teddy Roosevelt by Claudia Mills		The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles