2026-2027 Texas Bluebonnet Award List Released

The Texas Library Association’s (TLA) 2026-2027 Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) List was announced at the Texas Book Festival in Austin on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

As is tradition, students in grades 3 – 6 from across Texas revealed the books on the list.

The Texas Bluebonnet Award List is one of the most distinguished children’s literature lists in the country.

This prestigious list is composed of titles from creative, talented, and diverse authors. The titles on the list offer students in third through sixth grades quality fiction and nonfiction literature to be read for pleasure. The TBA selection committee considered a whopping 1006 books for this year’s list.

The primary goals of the TBA list are to introduce children to a variety of quality books, develop critical reading skills, and honor and encourage authors. To compose the list, the committee selected five outstanding books of various genres for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Each year, more than 63,000 third-through-sixth graders from across Texas vote for their favorite title from the list. “Read 5, then decide” is a slogan known by school librarians, public librarians, and homeschooling parents across the state. The TBA Award winner is announced in the spring and will be honored in April at the TLA 2027 Annual Conference in San Antonio.

Here is the list, alphabetized by title. Printable PDF of list.

• Another by Paul Tremblay.

• The Black Mambas by Kelly Crull.

• Danilo Was Here by Tamika Burgess.

• Fowl Play by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb.

• Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers by Angela Dominguez.

• Gracie under the Waves by Linda Sue Park.

• I’m a Dumbo Octopus! by Anne Lambelet.

• Introducing Sandwina by Vicki Conrad.

• The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio.

• The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall.

• Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti.

• Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia.

• Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate.

• Safe Crossing by Kari Percival.

• Saved by the Smell by Jarrett Lerner.

• Speak Up, Santiago! by Julio Anta.

• A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga.

• The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner.

• Wanda Hears the Stars by Amy S. Hansen and Wanda Díaz Merced.

• Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Illustrated by O. Ivanov.