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Fannie Mae Caldwell Elementary School

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Reading Programs

Caldwell Reading Challenges

Each grade level at Fannie Mae Caldwell is invited to take part in a reading challenge throughout the year. These challenges are optional and designed to help create a love of reading as well as encourage students to read more widely. Prizes are awarded for each completed challenge. 

  • Kindergarten Alphabet Challenge
      • Students are challenged to read a book from the Everybody section by an author of each letter of the alphabet and color in the letter as they read. This challenge encourages students to try new books. 
  • First Grade Dewey Decimal BINGO
    • Students are challenged to explore our nonfiction section by completing a BINGO card that will require students to read widely. 
  • Second Grade Suitcase Challenge
    • Students are challenged to read a book from the Everybody section by an author whose last name begins with each letter of the alphabet and fill in the corresponding suitcase with the call number of the book. This challenge not only encourages students to try new books, but allows them to practice using call numbers to find a book by a particular author. 
  • Third through Fifth Grade State Program Challenges
    • Upper grades are encouraged to take part in the Bluebonnet List reading challenge. Students who read at least five books from the list are able to vote for their favorite book in a state election, and students who read ALL the books are invited to a celebration at the end of the year. 

State Reading Programs

Texas 2x2 Booklist

The 2×2 list can be used by parents and caregivers to introduce children to a variety of quality books that will pique their interest and imagination, as well as encourage independent reading. A committee comprised of eight members of the Children’s Round Table who are actively involved in delivering library services to children develop the annual list.

To accomplish this, the committee reads widely. And when we say widely, we mean each year committee members read, on average, over 800 books. Each month, May-November, committee members nominate 5-10 titles to our official consideration list.

What are we looking for? In short, we are looking for excellent books that will excite readers, books that are visually appealing and appropriate for both the content and the intended age-level. We are looking for inclusion through diverse outlooks, stories, genres, formats, genders, geographic environment, ages, and ethnicity.

Books must have a review from a professional journal. Our focus on professional reviews is because library collection development policies are often dependent on multiple positive reviews from professional journals to ensure that money is spent in the most responsible way possible.

 

Bluebonnet Booklist

The Texas Bluebonnet Award is one of the most prestigious children’s choice literary awards in the United States. Each year, 20 books are chosen for the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. Schools and libraries around the state participate in the program, encouraging students to read a minimum of five books from the list. In January, students vote for their favorite title. The author of the book receiving the most votes wins the Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) which is presented at the Texas Bluebonnet Award presentation held during the TLA Annual Conference in the spring.