Texas Topaz Nonfiction List for Grades K-12

Here are just some of the recommended titles for grades K-12 from the 2026 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List! The purpose of the Texas Topaz Reading List is to provide children, teens, and adults with recommended nonfiction titles that stimulate reading for pleasure and personal learning. It is intended for recreational reading and is not designed to support any particular curriculum. Visit txla.org/reading-lists for the full list and lists from previous years.

Updated January 13, 2026
Lewisville Public Library
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Earthrise : the story of a photograph that changed the way we see our planet
Marcus, Leonard S.
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR from The New York Times and Kirkus Reviews From award-winning historian Leonard S. Marcus, Earthrise is a unique middle-grade nonfiction book about the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission that forever shifted...
Tell me about Juneteenth
Nash, Kortney
Paper Book
Celebrate Juneteenth with this empowering picture book! On June 19th, 1865, the last enslaved African Americans were finally freed in Galveston, Texas. Every year, our community comes together to honor this special day. We play hopscotch, eat spice cake, and listen to music,...
Wish I was a baller : a graphic memoir
Shah, Amar (Screenwriter)
Paper Book
Wish I Was a Baller is part New Kid, part The Tryout, and part Dragon Hoops! Amar Shah has some story to tell! In 1995, he was a fourteen-year-old aspiring sports journalist (and basketball superfan) angling to get into an Orlando Magic team practice. He did, and it...
At last she stood : how Joey Guerrero spied, survived, and fought for freedom
Kelly, Erin Entrada
Paper Book
A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A CCBC Choice Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Chicago...
Putin vs. Zelensky : the Russo-Ukrainian war: why it's happening and how it all got started
Thompson, Ben
Paper Book
Everything you needed to know about the war between Russia and Ukraine as told by children's nonfiction author Ben Thompson (Guts & Glory series). Conversational and straightforward, this is a must-read for any reader looking to have a better understanding of the current global events.
White House secrets : medical lies and cover-ups
Jarrow, Gail
Paper Book
Finalist, 2026 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Book Chicago Public Library Best of the Best List 2025 CCBC Choices 2026 Here are the shocking, yet true, stories of presidential medical cover-ups from the 19th...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.