The Texas Bluebonnet Award is a prestigious children's choice literary award. Each year, 20 books are chosen for the list. Students are encouraged to read 5 or more books from the list in order to vote for their favorite title. The author receiving the most votes wins the Texas Bluebonnet Award each spring.

In the library this year, 3rd through 5th graders will read several of these titles together, and are encouraged to check out and read more on their own.

View the Texas Library Association's website to see this year's list: (2026-2027) Bluebonnet list 

Students are given the full list to take home, in case they would like to check out additional titles from the public library. We also keep a tracker at school to summarize and rate the titles we read together.

Our younger students work through the Texas 2x2 List. Students receive a tracker that they keep at school and use to rate each title. Out of the 20 books on the list, we will try to read at least half together. Students are encouraged to check out the others from the library to read on their own. Even though there is no official vote, like with the Bluebonnet books, students will get to vote for their favorite just for fun.

View the Texas Library Association's website to see this year's list: (2026-2027) Texas 2x2 

Garland ISD librarians come together each year to create a special list of 10 high-quality titles. Every elementary school receives a copy of each book, and the librarian is encouraged to read as many as possible to our kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students. 

The 2026-2027 GISD Armadillo Book List:
Bored Panda by Mike Bender
Hello, I'm a Quokka by Hayey & John Rocco
This Book is Dangerous by Ben Clayton
No Huddles for Heloise by Deborah Kerbel
Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
Gifts from the Garbage Truck by Andrew Larson
Monster Hands by Karen Kane
Echo by Adam Rex
Mr. Fox's Game of "No!" by David LaRochelle
The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown

Students will vote for their favorite at the end of April and a winner will be announced across the district.
 

Students will follow our campus-wide behavior expectation system in the library. Here is what those expectations look like:

Purpose - Enjoy reading, sharing, and discussing books and authors. Gain information literacy and tech literacy skills.
Responsibility - Take care of books and library materials. Return books for others to enjoy.
Integrity - Be honest about late or lost books. Help others in the library classroom.
Determination - Put effort into all library activities.
Excellence - Be a good listener and participate in library lessons.

If your student has lost one or more library books, please email Mrs. Entrop to let her know. The books can be marked as lost and your student can continue to check out books on their library day. You may also send a handwritten note with your student's name and the title of the book.

Periodically, Mrs. Entrop will send home late notices if books haven't been turned in for weeks past their due date. These notices will list the cost to replace the book, if you'd like to pay for a replacement. Please don't replace books on your own. Books have to be purchased from certain retailers and be in specific formats that have been previously approved.

We will never charge fines for late books. However, damaged and lost books will list a fine on your student's account.

This year, library will be every other week. On library weeks, students will have class on their designated library day, but can also exchange their books any day of that week during open checkout.

Please help your student to remember to bring their books back on their library day. If they are at their checkout limit, they cannot check out new books during class. But, as always, they can come on a different day to exchange their books when needed.

Any time there is not a class in the library, students may come in for open checkout to exchange their books. It is up to the teacher's discretion on when to send students for open checkout.

Students that miss their library time for any reason are expected to come to open checkout at least once during the week.

The library has 2 book fairs every year, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. The Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings the books kids want to read right into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair with your student to be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.

All Book Fair proceeds go to our school. Previous book fairs have helped our school purchase:

• Makerspace items
• Author visits
• New books

Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading. Hillside Academy celebrates Read Across America during March with fun activities and events for students.

Last year students had the opportunity to participate in a reading bingo challenge. Students completed 5 reading activities in a row for a prize. Ambitious students could complete the entire card for a blackout!

In grades 3 through 5, students were invited to create a coloring-page bookmark design. The top designs were chosen as winners and copies were distributed to every student at Hillside.

Classes have the chance to earn points every week for great behavior and following expectations. When the class reaches 10 points, they earn a STEAM Day in the library. They may choose between different fun activities, such as Magna-Tiles, Lego, marble mazes, drawing tutorials, and more. Last school year, 17 classes earned their STEAM Day and enjoyed building and creating in the library! Many classes earned an additional fun day at the end of the year!