“If you got a good idea and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it.” Grace Hopper This picture book biography is about the unknown queen of the computer code. As a young girl Grace’s brilliant mind for math and science led her to tinker with gadgets. It was no wonder that…
Bluestem Nominees
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark
Grace likes to think outside of the box. She takes apart clocks, and figures how to put them back together. She is always finding new ways of doing things. When Grace was older, one of her jobs was to write programs for one of the first computers ever built ! She worked on new computers,…
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
One night, Astrid’s mom takes her and her best friend to a roller derby, and this sets off a course of events that changes Astrid’s life. Astrid becomes obsessed with everything roller derby and decides to join roller derby camp the summer before entering junior high. This decision leads to some major problems with her…
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
A cross country move, secret puzzles, mysterious clues, bumbling bad guys, and a race to find the answers all equals one action filled book! In the Book Scavenger, Emily and her new friend James race around San Francisco as they solve clues and decode secret messages. It all started when Emily and James found a mysterious…
Hilo Book 1: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick
Super powers? Check! Robots? Check? Aliens? Check! What else could you ask for in a graphic novel! The Hilo series has it all. D.J. and Gina find a mysterious boy, Hilo, who fell from the sky. Together the new friends help Hilo find out who he is and just what he might be capable of.…
Stick Dog by Tom Watson
Here’s a great series for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or anyone that likes funny chapter books with some illustrations! Stick Dog and his four friends - Stripes, Mutt, Poo-Poo and Karen – scheme to get some delicious looking hamburgers from a family at the park. Distractions and obstacles abound. Will clever Stick…
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
In The Wild Robot, readers are introduced to Roz, a robot who wakes up alone on a remote island. She was not built for the wilderness and at first finds it difficult to adapt to the wildness of the island. Slowly though she learns to survive by observing the other inhabitants and eventually making friends…
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson
Whale shark vs vampire squid! Nothing is more amazing then this book under or above the sea! Read it and debate with your friends which animal really is the most amazing creature in the sea. Maybe it’s the mimic octopus who is a master of disguise or the box jellyfish with deadly venom. You decide!…
A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel
Imagine moving across the country and leaving your best friend when your Dad gets a new job. Now imagine doing all of that with a depressed mom who barely gets out of bed and an older brother who barely speaks to you. Oh, you are also blind and have albinoism. Sound rough? Well, Alice handles…
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks
Imagine starting fifth grade at a new school in a new country. It’s tough! Ravi, who has just moved from India, is stunned to learn that his classmates and teacher at Albert Einstein Elementary do not seem impressed by his previous stellar grades, popularity among his former classmates, and his athletic prowess at cricket. At…
