By Kristi Starr, librarian at Coronado High School in Lubbock ISD, TxASLTalks Editorial Board
Consider Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu. It’s a graphic anthology of women from throughout history and around the world. Yes, Mae Jemison and Temple Grandin are there. But do you know Hedy Lamarr as just another pretty face? Think again. Who is Wu Zeitan or Agnodice? Between the amazing illustrations, humor, and fantastic subjects, you don’t want to miss this one. Brazen also appears among the Tayshas Top 10 titles and starred Maverick titles, as does Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s Hey, Kiddo. Take the best of nonfiction and graphic novels, and you have two outstanding selections that just might invite readers to pick up nonfiction for the first time. And you’ll find even more graphic novels on the list.
Maybe you want an alternative to prose. In that case, pick up In the Past: From Tribolites to Dinosaurs to Mammoths in More Than 500 Million Years by David Elliott for primary students, or Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood for upper elementary. Gorgeous illustrations accompany brief poems that highlight creatures and young women, again, some of whom are familiar, but also others who are not.
You will find global representation in Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card: A Memoir by Sara Saedi (Iran - YA); The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman (Germany - gr 6-8); Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot's World War II Story by Marc Tyler Nobleman and illustrated by Melissa Iwai (Japan - K-2); Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph by Yusra Mardini (Syria - adult for YA)); A Moonless, Starless Sky: Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa (YA) by Alexis Okeowo.
Figures in American civil rights are the focus of titles such as What Do You Do With A Voice Like That? by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ekua Holmes (K-2); The United States v. Jackie Robinson by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen (K-2); Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (YA); Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961 by Larry Dane Brimner (gr 6-8).
Current social events are reflected in titles like #NeverAgain by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg (YA); The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater (YA); I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor's Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson (YA); Not So Different: What You REALLY Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw (K-2); when they call you a terrorist: a black lives matter memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullers and Asha Bandele (adult for YA).
You’ll still find all the glorious nonfiction-y subject matter like animals - Lesser Spotted Animals (gr 3-5) by Martin Brown and Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us are Kin by Diane Lang (K-2); gross-outs like Wicked Bugs: The Meanest, Deadliest, Grossest Bugs on Earth (Young Reader's Edition) by Amy Stewart (gr 6-8) and The Gross Cookbook by Susanna Tee (gr 3-5); history - Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (YA) and Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton (K-2); space books such as Chasing Space (Young Reader’s Edition) by Leland Melvin (gr 6-8) and If You Were the Moon by Laura Purdie Salas (K-2); and of course dinosaurs! Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones by Sara Levine and illustrated by T. S. Spookytooth (K-2).
And oh! There are so many more titles! You’ll find narrative nonfiction, informational nonfiction, memoirs, and biographies for all age/grade levels and topics of interest. Find a title or two - or ten - to share. Sit back and enjoy the read.
January 18 update - An annotated list of K-12 Topaz titles divided by interest level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Adult for YA) is now available. You can find it here.
**Do you have a favorite title from this year's Texas Topaz list? If so, which is it? Please share in the comments below.**
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