Rebecca Caudill & Bluestem Awards - 4th & 5th Grade
This year we will be blending the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award booklist and the brand new Bluestem Award booklist to create a list of 20 books for our 4th and 5th graders to read for the library’s annual reading incentive traditionally known as “The Caudills.” By participating in this reading incentive, students will discover new books to enjoy, and they will be able to work toward some goals that are outlined below.
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award program is a state-wide children’s choice award. A committee comprised of Illinois teachers and librarians nominate 20 new books for this award, and students throughout Illinois read the Caudill books so they can vote for their favorite book in February, 2011. The nominated books are intended for a broad range of readers, from 4th grade through 8th grade. However, this year, only the books on the list below, selected from the 2011 list, will count for the Timothy reading incentive for 4th and 5th grade. The remaining books on the Caudill list are not recommended for your 4th and 5th graders--the themes of these books make them more appropriate for middle school students.
The Bluestem Award is a new state-wide children’s choice award designed for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. In February, students throughout Illinois who have read the minimum of 4 books from this list of nominations will be able to vote for their favorite. These books will only be promoted in 4th and 5th grade here at Timothy. (3rd graders have other reading incentives throughout the year.) Please note that the books listed below are selected from the complete 2011 Bluestem Award list. There are a number of picture books on the list, which you may find on the Bluestem shelf at your public library or bookstore. Although they are worth reading, they will not count toward the incentive levels of the pizza party, etc.
Please read through the following notes and booklists carefully so that you understand which books are suggested reading for the 4th and 5th graders, and how students can reach for our traditional goals of voting for their favorite, and qualifying for the pizza party, ice cream, and bookstore levels. And, please remember that participation is optional.
READING GOALS for 4th and 5th Graders
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Only the following books qualify for the reading goals outlined above:
Bluestem Award books
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
No Talking by Andrew Clements
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Being Teddy Roosevelt by Claudia Mills
Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick
Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin VanDraanen
Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks
The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award books
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Savvy by Ingrid Law
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy (caution sensitive readers: this book is about the Holocaust during World War II)
The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer
Questions? Contact Mrs. Stein (630-782-4212, stein@timothychristian.com).