You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Close
Search
Join TLA

Current List

A high school reading list for the State of Texas.

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.


2024 Nominations

Click the button below to submit a nomination for the 2024 TAYSHAS Reading List .

2024 TAYSHAS Nomination Form

To learn more about nomination criteria, please click here.


2023 TAYSHAS Reading List TOP 10

2023 Top 10 Tayshas

2023 TAYSHAS TOP 10 PRESENTATION


2023 TAYSHAS Reading List & Resources

2023 TAYSHAS READING LIST – BY TITLE

2023 TAYSHAS ANNOTATED READING LIST

2023 TAYSHAS BOOK TASTING

2023 TAYSHAS Reading List by Title

TITLE AUTHOR
14 Ways to Die Ralph, Vincent
A Year to the Day Benway, Robin
**Abuela, Don’t Forget Me Ogle, Rex
Ace of Spades Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah
After the Ink Dries Gustafsen, Cassie
Ain’t Burned All the Bright Reynolds, Jason; artwork by Jason Griffin
All My Rage Tahir, Sabaa
All of Us Villains Foody, Amanda
An Emotion of Great Delight Mafi, Tahereh
And We Rise Martin, Erica
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World Saenz, Benjamin
Ashfall Legacy Lore, Pittacus
Being Mary Bennet Peterson, JC
Better Than the Movies Painter, Lynn
Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel Donkin, Andrew
Blade of Secrets Levenseller, Tricia
Bluebird Cameron, Sharon
Burn Down Rise Up Tirado, Vincent
Concrete Rose Thomas, Angie
Dark Room Etiquette Row, Robin
Dead Flip Farizan, Sara
Demon in the Wood Bardugo, Leigh, and Dani Pendergast
Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love Reck, Jared
Eat Your Heart Out Devos, Kelly
**Fadeaway Vickers, E. B.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega Maldanado, Crystal
**Full Flight Schumacher, Ashley
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star Axelrod, Jadzia
Girl on Fire Keys, Alicia
Heartbreak Symphony Kemp, Laekan Zea
High Sullivan, Mary
Hollow Fires Ahmed, Samira
Horror Hotel Fulton, Victoria, and Faith Mcclaren
**How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe Gilliland, Raquel
How Not to Fall in Love Firkins, Jacqueline
How We Ricochet Gardner, Faith
Huda F Are You? Fahmy, Huda
I Kissed Shara Wheeler: A Novel McQuiston, Casey
**I Must Betray You Sepetys, Ruta
Iron Widow Zhao, Xiran Jay
Kiss & Tell Khorram, Adib
Lawless Spaces Haydu, Corey Ann
**Letters to a Young Athlete Bosh, Chris
Lock the Doors Ralph, Vincent
Long Story Short Kaylor, Serena
Love & Other Great Expectations Dean, Becky
Love in English Andreu, Maria
M is for Monster Dutton, Talia
Mere Mortals Lange, Erin Jade
My Last Summer with Cass Crilley, Mark
Nothing More to Tell McManus, Karen
On the Hook Stork, Francisco X.
Once Upon a Broken Heart Garber, Stephanie
Once Upon a K-prom Cho, Kat
Punching Bag Ogle, Rex
Ride With Me Keating, Lucy
Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed Meyer, Marissa, editor
Seven Dirty Secrets Richards, Natalie
Six Crimson Cranes Lim, Elizabeth
Some Other Now Everett, Sarah
Squire Alfageeh, Sara, and Nadia Shammas
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions Dhillon, Navdeep Singh
Tahira in Bloom Heron, Farah
The Agathas Glascow, Kathleen, and Liz Lawson
The Anthropocene Reviewed Green, John
The Awakening of Malcolm X Shabazz, Ilyasah with Tiffany D. Jackson
The Box in the Woods Johnson, Maureen
The Cost of Knowing Morris, Brittney
The Counselors Goodman, Jessica
The Dead and the Dark Gould, Courtney Nichols
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School Reyes, Sonora
The Lost Dreamer Huerta, Lizz
The Mary Shelley Club Moldavsky, Goldy
The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin Wilson, Kip
The Name She Gave Me Culley, Betty
**The Silence That Binds Us Ho, Joanna
**The Weight of Blood Jackson, Tiffany D
The Words We Keep Stewart, Erin
These Deadly Games Urban, Diana
These Hollow Vows Ryan, Lexi
They’ll Never Catch Us Goodman, Jessica
This Poison Heart Bayron, Kalynn
Together We Burn Ibanez, Isabel
**Tonight We Rule the World Smedley, Zack
Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things Fuston, Margie
Vespertine Rogerson, Margaret
Vinyl Moon Browne, Mahogany L.
Walls Elliott, L. M.
**We Can Be Heroes McCauley, Kyrie
Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure Hancox, Lewis
When You Get The Chance Lord, Emma
Where I Belong Mickelson, Marcia
Why Is Everybody Yelling?: Growing Up in My Immigrant Family Russo, Marisabina
XOXO Oh, Axie
Year on Fire Buxbaum, Julie
You’d Be Home Now Glasgow, Kathleen
You’ll be the Death of Me McManus, Karen
You’ve Reached Sam Thao, Dustin

Titles with ** indicate a TAYSHAS Top Ten Book.

**Top Ten Books are selected from those which received a unanimous vote in the committee’s initial voting process.


TLA Thanks Our Sponsor:


Nominate a librarian for the Young Adult Reading Incentive Award

Honoring a librarian for exceptional ability to motivate young adults to read.

Click the button below to access the NOMINATION Form for the 2023 YARI Award:

YARI Submission Form 2022 2023

Please submit a copy of the submission form, the essay and supporting material by March 1, 2023 to: sonja1of3@gmail.com with the subject line YARI 2023.

Latest News
View all News

Texas Library Association Elects 2023-2024 Executive Board

TLA Membership, TLA News

The TLA Executive Board met and verified the results of the election which was conducted via Election Buddy (a secure, third-party election platform) and is confident in the integrity of […]

Read More

Between the Lines: March Member Spotlight

Between the Lines: Member Spotlight, TLA Membership, TLA News

Cynthia Y. Rodriguez Director of Library Services for Laredo College Harold R. Yeary Library and Senator Judith Zaffirini Library What inspired you to become a librarian? My inspiration to become […]

Read More