2025 Bluestem Nominees In 2008, the Bluestem Award was created to appeal to students "who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles”. The titles on this list are chosen by teachers and librarians for children in grades 3-5.
Odder by Katherine Applegate Shine On, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic by Kelly Crull Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales Killer Underwear Invasion!: How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation & Conspiracy Theories by Elise Gravel Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launced a Worldwide Obsession by Kate Hannigan King of the Ice by Kelly Starling Lyons Not If I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler Boardwalk Babies by Marissa Moss Frizzy by Claribel Ortega Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds Air by Monica Roe Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White Vote for your favorite in February/March 2025 at any APLD location or online! To vote for the 2025 Bluestem Award: Must be in grades 3-5 (or homeschool equivalent) and live in Illinois. Must have read or listened to at least 4 Bluestem nominees to be eligible to vote.