Texas Bluebonnet Award 2026–27: a parent guide to all 20 books

Safe Crossing

A family helps frogs and salamanders cross a busy road on spring nights. Then they ask their town for a tunnel.

The Invisible Parade

On the Day of the Dead, Cala misses her grandfather. Four ghostly riders, one of them Death, help her face her grief.

Heads-up: It is about grief. The skeleton riders may scare some younger kids.

Wanda Hears the Stars

Astronomer Wanda Díaz Merced lost her sight in college. She kept studying the stars by turning their data into sound.

Introducing Sandwina

Meet Katie Sandwina, a circus strongwoman born in 1884. She juggled cannonballs and headlined the Ringling circus.

The Black Mambas

Real photos of the first all-woman anti-poaching unit, in South Africa. They patrol without weapons to protect rhinos.

Heads-up: It explains that poachers kill rhinos and pangolins.

Saved by the Smell

Ari’s mom builds a time portal to skip the laundry. They land among dinosaurs, and his stinky T-shirt saves them.

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers

Gabby, 9, starts a social media page for her environmental club. Then a mean comment makes her suspect everyone.

Heads-up: Gabby breaks her parents’ online rules. A good start for a talk about yours.

Speak Up, Santiago!

Santi spends a month with his Colombian abuela and joins a soccer team. He worries his Spanish isn’t good enough.

Mixed-Up

Fifth grader Stella falls behind when every subject needs more reading. Then she finds out she has dyslexia.

I’m a Dumbo Octopus!

Grimpy, a dumbo octopus, shows off his octopus, squid and cuttlefish cousins. Real science in a fun comic.

Pocket Bear

Pocket, a tiny World War I bear, leads a house of rescued toys. A rare, valuable new bear brings trouble.

Heads-up: The humans are refugees from Ukraine. The dad was killed and Dasha was hurt in the war.

The Library of Unruly Treasures

Gwen, 11, finds tiny winged people living in her town’s library. Only she and little kids can see them.

Heads-up: Gwen’s parents neglect her, a big theme. A tiny arrow poisons her, not fatally.

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall

A painting vanishes from a small museum, and Rami’s mom is a suspect. A ghostly girl and a turtle help him crack it.

Lola

In Mexico City, Lola’s brother and their magic tree both fall ill. She travels to a magical realm to save them. A Pura Belpré Award winner.

Heads-up: It deals with grief and the death of a loved one.

Danilo Was Here

Panama, 1990. After the U.S. invasion, Danilo’s family loses their home. A baseball trip to California is his chance to find his dad.

Heads-up: An airstrike, a refugee camp and prejudice from teammates. Danilo struggles with PTSD.

Gracie Under the Waves

Gracie plans her family’s snorkeling trip to Honduras. A bad cut on her first dive keeps her out of the water.

Fowl Play

Chloe’s uncle dies and leaves her his parrot. When Charlie squawks “cyanide!”, she starts a murder investigation.

Heads-up: It opens with a death in the family, and grief runs through it. Lots of laughs too.

Another

A clay-like boy moves in with Casey’s family. Slowly he turns into Casey, and his parents seem to prefer him.

Heads-up: Real horror, with creepy pictures. Casey was bullied online. Best for kids who like scary books.

Will’s Race for Home

In 1889, Will, 12, and his father race to claim land in Oklahoma. His father was once enslaved.

Heads-up: Racism, fistfights, a shootout and a brutal massacre scene.

The Trouble with Heroes

After his dad dies, Finn, 13, damages a grave. To avoid big fines, he must climb 46 mountains with the dead woman’s dog.

Heads-up: A parent’s death, grief, PTSD and drinking. Mild language like “crap.”