2022 SPOT Reading List Announced

The Spirit of Texas (SPOT) Reading Program hopes to encourage a greater understanding of what it means to be a Texan, and to develop an appreciation for the literary works of and about Texas and Texans. SPOT is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). The purpose of the list is to encourage youths in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current, quality books from Texas authors and illustrators, develop critical reading skills, and to encourage greater interaction between Texas authors and illustrators, Texas librarians, and Texas youth.

The books on this list reveal so many diverse experiences of living in Texas and what it means to be a Texan.

For example, Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America is an anthology where many authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican Americans. In The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, a Cuban American boy must use his secret ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a tule vieja, a witch that transforms into animals.

Here is the complete list:

2022 SPOT List

1. Starfish by Lisa Fipps
2. An Occasionally Happy Family by Cliff Burke
3. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
4. Cuba in my Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas
5. Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America, edited by Margarita Longoria (An anthology featuring many Texas authors’ short stories)
6. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
7. A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
8. Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
9. Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan
10. A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen
11. Tigers, not Daughters by Samantha Mabry