You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
We’re delighted to announce the new TAYSHAS Reading List! TAYSHAS takes its name from the Caddo Indian word meaning “friends or allies.” Written as texas, texios, tejas, teyas or tayshas, the word was applied to the Caddos by the Spanish in eastern Texas, who regarded them as friends and allies against the Apaches.
The goal of the TAYSHAS reading list is to motivate young adults to become lifelong readers and to participate in the community of readers in Texas. Students in grades 9 – 12 are encouraged to read books for pleasure from the list, which includes fiction and nonfiction titles.
There are a wealth of insightful titles here. In The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho, young May Chen is heartbroken when her brother, just admitted to Princeton, dies by suicide. The book explores mental health, racial stereotypes and relationships in a sensitive and honest way. In Vincent Tirado’s Burn Down, Rise Up, two young women work to solve mysterious disappearances in the Bronx. In 14 Ways to Die, by Vincent Ralph, Jess seeks to solve her mother’s murder from a decade before. High school students are sure to find a favorite from this list.
Enjoy!
*Top Ten
