The Texas Bluebonnet Reading Program: Making It Blossom

1
The Texas Bluebonnet Reading ProgramMaking It
Blossom!

• Laura Sheneman, TBA Program Committee Member
• Charlyn Trussell

2
Texas Bluebonnet Award Mission

• To Encourage Texas Children to
• Read more books
• Explore a variety of current books
• Develop powers of discrimination
• Identify their favorite books

3
TBA Program Committee

• Made up of 10 membersat large
• 2 membersPublicity Subcommittee
• 4 membersActivities Subcommittee
• 3 members Video Subcommittee
• 1 memberYouth Participation
• Chaired by Beth ThamesTBA Coordinator
• Contact http//www.txla.org/groups/tba/contact.ht
  mlprogram

4
TBA Selection Committee

• Made up of 10 memberseach from one of the 10 TLA
  districts
• Coordinator Beth ThamesTBA Coordinator
  Coordinator Martha Edmundson will begin her term
  in 2010
• http//www.txla.org/groups/tba/contact.html

5
http//www.txla.org/groups/tba
6
http//www.txla.org/groups/tba/nominees.html
7
Resources on TBA Website

• Readers Advisory
• Readers Theatre
• Reviews
• Read-Aloud Suggestions
• Webliography
• Annotated Booklist (Good for booktalks)
• TBA Wiki under construction

8
Make it blossom!! Ideas to Promote your
Bluebonnet Program

• Announce your Bluebonnet Program with a
  flourish!
• Count down the days or weeks until the new list
  is announced or released at your school.
• Make daily or weekly announcements, then launch
  the new list in Februarywhy wait? You give
  students more time to read and the books more
  time to circulate.

9
To create interest

• Create an attractive display of the books.
  Purchase silk bluebonnets in the spring while
  theyre in the stores.
• Decorate 20 plastic containers or coffee cans
  with bluebonnets and the title of one book. Cut
  slits in the lid. Place each can beside the
  appropriate book.

10
Then

• Give each student 5 tickets and have them write
  their names on them.
• Show the promotional video or book talk each
  book. (videostreaming now available)
• Allow students to place their tickets in the cans
  of the 5 books that they want to read the most.
• Draw names out of the cans to see who gets to
  check out the books first.

11
Continue to promote books

• Find other ways to use Bluebonnet books in your
  displays or programs. When a teacher requests
  that you introduce literary genres, tie them into
  TBA titles.

12
Keep the interest going

• Decorate a folder or file box and keep it in a
  convenient place. Have students keep their
  student reading records there.
• Class record
• Individual record

13
More ideas

• Allow students to deposit their names in a
  drawing after they have read 5 books.
• Have a weekly drawing for prizes. These can be
  free books or donated prizes such as restaurant
  vouchers or movie rentals.

14
Order supplies

• If your students have ID cards, you can place
  a Bluebonnet sticker on their ID cards once they
  are eligible to vote. Order supplies here.

15
Spread the wordas voting day nears

• Have a door decorating contesteach class can
  decorate their door with a theme from their
  favorite book.
• Have a Bluebonnet parade. Each class can decorate
  a book cart depicting their favorite book and
  then parade it through the school.

16
Voting Day

• Select a day or week to be your official
  Bluebonnet Election (any day in Jan.)
• For several weeks in advance, announce the date
  and make sure that eligible students have
  registered to vote by turning in their student
  reading record.
• Give eligible students official voting badges or
  cards. Find registration cards here and I voted
  stickers here.

17
More ideas

• Have a bookmark contest.
• Play Bluebonnet Bingo. Create bingo cards with 20
  titles in different positions. Give clues to the
  titles and see which student bingos first.
• Cut out bluebonnets and record students names on
  them when they have read 5 books. Decorate a wall
  or bulletin board with these bluebonnets.
• Play Bluebonnet Jeopardy. Create a game with
  information about the 20 books.

18
Voting

• Refer to website for voting instructions.
• Prepare a ballot for each student.
• Make a voting booth out of a refrigerator box or
  a trifold display.
• Have eligible students vote.
• Give students who voted a sticker.

19

• Tally results and submit totals on the TBA
  registration site by January 31 at midnight.
• You can find your pin here https//secure.txla.or
  g/secure/tba/tbaselection.asp

20
And the winner is

• When the winner is announced, have a Bluebonnet
  Celebration Party.
• Create a display with results of your school
  voting and the state results. Include a list of
  all Bluebonnet readers at your school.
• Have a drawing for a signed copy of the winning
  book. (Get this at TLA!)

21
Dont let the excitement dwindle.

• Consider having a district-wide Battle of the
  Bluebonnets.
• Teams of 3-5 students from each participating
  campus participate in a quiz game where everyone
  wins and your library program gets attention.

22
Get involved

• Enter your school in the Youth Participation
  drawing..it is a chance of a lifetime for one
  lucky child!
• Deadline is October 23, 2009.
• http//www.txla.org/groups/tba/forms/Student_Form.
  rtf

23
Youth Participants 2009

• Cynthia DeFelice and Andrea URen and the ten
  regional participants, April, 2009

24
Coming November 1, 2009

• Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett will announce the
  new list at the Texas Book Festival, in the Read
  To Me Tent at 3 p.m.

25

• Credits
• All TBA logos and photos are via the TLA website.
• All other clipart was taken from Microsoft Office
  Online.