2023 Texas Topaz Reading List

A funny and informative look at birds and their unique behavioral adaptations Birds can do a lot more than just fly! Did you know some of them can dig, dance, dive, and dabble? This nonfiction book introduces readers to an assortment of fascinating birds and their surprising behaviors. Readers will learn about flightless birds like the Adélie penguin, which toboggans down hills on its belly, or the kakapo, which climbs up trees to escape danger....

"Take a sloth's-eye view of the world in this beautiful and informative photographic picture book. Young readers will see where sloths live, what they eat, how they hide from predators, and much more. They'll learn about the creatures that interact with and depend on sloths in the interconnected and fragile tropical forest ecosystem"--

A biography of Nina Simone, an acclaimed singer whose music gave voice to the struggle for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

"This lyrical, nonfiction text honors animals who live in solitude, in contrast to others who live in groups. Against a backdrop of the specific names of various animal tribes (a parade of elephants, a tower of giraffes, a dazzle of zebras), Stein shines a spotlight on those animals who go through life on their own. With nature at his back, Stein invites readers to draw strength and comfort from the behaviors of fellow mammals. Perfect for children...

A vibrantly illustrated biography about visionary artist Christo, encouraging creativity, perseverance, and appreciating the beauty all around us Christo (1935—2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935—2009) are renowned for their large-scale, ambitious art installations that wrapped landmarks and swaths of land in fabric, including Berlin's Wrapped Reichstag, Paris's The Pont Neuf Wrapped, and concluding with New York City's The Gates in Central Park (2005). This...

"Ever wonder how your text message gets from your phone to your friend's phone? You type it, hit send, and boom -- the text appears on your friend's phone just moments later. But how?! From your brain to your fingers to your phone, once you hit send, off your message goes on a journey that seems impossibly far: traveling through the air, underground, under oceans, and even through mountains, in seconds. Turns out texts are big on adventure, and this...

"Biography of Frances Perkins, the first female member of the presidential cabinet, and architect of much of the New Deal legislation as Secretary of Labor."--Provided by publisher.