Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominees
Grades 3-5
2020
�The purpose of the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards is to encourage children to read quality children’s literature. That’s a fancy way of saying “getting kids to read great books.”�
Remember last year’s winner?�The Big Bad Fox �by Benjamin Renner
A fox has no luck scaring farm animals, and not even the wily wolf can teach him how to be menacing enough to earn him a juicy hen for dinner. Things go from bad to worse for the fox when he steals some eggs from the farm.
This is the symbol of the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards.
Are you ready to hear the new nominees for the 2019-2020 school year?
Bob� written by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead.
Feiwel and Friends, 2018.
Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who—or what—he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise.
Clue by clue, Livy and Bob will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from, and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever.
Author Wendy Mass
Random House Children’s Books, 2017
Chasing Augustus
by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Rosie’s led a charmed life with her loving dad, who runs the town donut shop. It’s true her mother abandoned them when Rosie was just a baby, but her dad’s all she’s ever needed. But now that her father’s had a stroke, Rosie lives with her tough-as-nails grandfather. And her beloved dog, Gloaty Gus, has just gone missing.� �Rosie’s determined to find him. With the help of a new friend and her own determination, she’ll follow the trail anywhere . . . no matter where it leads. If she doesn’t drive the whole world crazy in the meantime.
Author Kimberly Newton Fusco
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Random House Children’s Books, 2017.
Ivy
by Katherine Coville
When a kingdom-wide contest is announced to proclaim the tidiest town in the land, the people of Broomsweep are determined to win. That is, if they can get Ivy’s grandmother to clean up her ways. Ivy is determined to lend a hand, but the task proves more challenging when a series of unexpected refugees descends on Grandmother’s cottage. Before the week is over, an injured griffin, a dragon with a cold, and a tiny flock of temperamental pixies will cause a most untidy uproar in Broomsweep . . . and brighten Ivy’s days in ways she never could have dreamed.
Author Katherine Coville
Lions & Liars
By Dan Santat
Author Dan Santat and family
Square Fish, 2019.
Fifth grade is off to a terrible start when Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. His fellow troop mates—Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite—are terrifying. But in between trust-building exercises and midnight escape attempts, a tenuous friendship grows between them. Which is lucky, because a Category 5 hurricane is coming and everyone will have to work together—lions and fleas alike—to survive!!
Mac B, Kid Spy: Mac Undercover �by Mac Barnett
The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there's only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure...but will he find it in time?
Scholastic Inc., 2018.
Author Mac Barnett
If you liked Mac Undercover, read these next three books in the series!
Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess �by Shari Green
Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, Macy's final sixth grade assignment is a genealogy project! Well, she'll put it off - just like those wedding centerpieces she's supposed to be making.��Just when Macy's mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty-six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is moving into an assisted living facility. Iris can't pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn't going to let Macy's deafness stop her. Surprisingly, this may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life.
Pajama Press, 2017
Author Shari Green
Penguin Young Readers Group, 2019
By Diane Magras
Author Diane Magras
One dark night, Drest's sheltered life on a remote Scottish headland is shattered when invading knights capture her family, but leave Drest behind. Her father, the Mad Wolf of the North, and her beloved brothers are a fearsome war-band, but now Drest is the only one who can save them. On her journey, however, Drest learns that the war-band is legendary for terrorizing the land. If she frees them, they'll not hesitate to hurt the gentle knight who's started out as a hostage, but has become her friend.
Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly was Invented�by Tanya Lee Stone
In the late 1800s there lived Lizzie Magie, a clever and charismatic woman with a strong sense of justice. Waves of urban migration drew Lizzie’s attention to rising financial inequality. One day she had an idea: create a game that shows the unfairness of the landlord-tenant relationship. But game players seemed to have the most fun pretending to be wealthy landowners. Enter Charles Darrow, a marketer and salesman with a vision for transforming Lizzie’s game into something that American families would enjoy for years to come!
Henry Holt and Company, 2018.
Author Tanya Lee Stone
HarperCollins Publishers, 2018.
Saving Winslow
by Sharon Creech
Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.
Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.
Author Sharon Creech
Superstar
by Mandy Davis
HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.
Author Mandy Davis.
Lester’s first days as a fifth grader at Quarry Elementary School are not even a little bit like he thought they would be—the cafeteria is too loud for Lester's ears, there are too many kids, and then there's the bully.
Lester was always home-schooled, and now he’s shocked to be stuck in a school where everything just seems wrong. That's until he hears about the science fair, which goes really well for Lester! This is it. The moment where I find out for 100 percent sure that I won.
But then things go a bit sideways, and Lester has to find his way back.
Which one would you like to read first?