The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.
Independent Reading
EASY- Alamo Across Texas
- by Jill Stover. Lothrop, 1993
- An alligator searches Texas for a new place to live after a drought dries up his home.
- Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park
- by Mary Brooke Casad. Pelican, 1990
- Bluebonnet the armadillo meets his ancestor, a glyptodont, in a central Texas state park.
- The Critters of Gazink
- by Grace Roberson Hicks. Eakin Press, 1991
- A rhyming story introduces the animal inhabitants of a Texas town.
- Dinosaur Days in Texas
- by Tom and Jane Allen with Savannah Walker. Hendrick-Long, 1989
- A young person's guide to the sixteen species of dinosaurs that roamed what is today Texas.
- The Great Monarch Butterfly Chase
- by R. W. N. Prior. Bradbury Press, 1993
- Two boys follow a monarch butterfly on its annual migration across the South into Mexico via Texas.
- Tag-Along Timothy Tours Texas
- by Jean Richardson. Eakin Press, 1991
- A rabbit accompanies a family as it tours Texas by car.
- Texas
- by Kathy Pelta. Lerner, 1994 (Series: Hello U.S.A.)
- An overview of Texas and its people, geography, history, and economy.
- Texas Wildflowers: A Children's Field Guide to the State's Most Common Flowers
- by Beverly Magley. Falcon Press, 1993
- An illustrated guide to help children appreciate the wildflowers found in each region of Texas.
- The Big Storm
- by Bruce Hiscock. Atheneum Books, 1993
- Engrossing account for young readers of the 1982 storm that swept across the country, bringing heavy rains and hail to the Southwest.
- O Ye Legendary Texas Horned Frog
- by June Rayfield Welch. Yellow Rose Press, 1993
- True tales and folklore about this famed Texas animal.
- Texas
- by Dennis Fradin. Spanish version by Aida Marcuse. Childrens Press, 1992 (Series: From sea to shining sea)
- An introduction to the geography, climate, history, cities, and famous people of Texas.
- Texas Hot-Air Balloon Mystery!
- by Carole Marsh. Gallopade Publishing Group, 1994
- An adventure story in which the characters and the reader are stuck in a hot-air balloon and must figure out their location in Texas from topographical and other clues.
- The Tree That Would Not Die
- by Ellen Levine. Scholastic, 1995 An overview of Texas history as “told” by the 500-year-old Treaty Oak in Austin.
- Trees, Shrubs & Cacti of South Texas
- by James H. Everitt and D. Lynn Drawe. Texas Tech University Press, 1993
- Field guide to the unique and spectacular flora of south Texas.
- Coyote/Roadrunner
- by Wyman Meinzer. Texas Tech University Press. 1995, 1993.
- Poignant observations and photographs of the coyote and the roadrunner as observed by the author/photographer on the Texas plains.
- The Desert Is My Mother/El desierto es mi madre
- by Pat Mora. Piñata Books, a division of Arte Público Press, 1994
- A poem in Spanish and English about the spirit of life found in the desert.
- Legends and Lore of Texas Wildflowers
- by Elizabeth Silverthorne. Texas A&M University Press, 1996
- Legends, historical uses, name origins, and settings of forty-four of Texas' wildflowers.
- Roadside Geology of Texas
- by Darwin Spearing. Mountain Press, 1991
- Young reader's guide to the dramatic geologic formations of Texas (divided into seven regions).
- Unique Texas: A Guide to the State's Quirks, Charisma, and Character
- by Sarah Lovett. John Muir Publications, 1993
- A romping guide to the state's most intriguing natural and historic sites.
Read Aloud and Reference Books
READ ALOUD BOOKS- The Armadillo from Amarillo
- by Lynne Cherry. Gulliver Books/Harcourt Brace, 1994
- A rhyming picture book in which a wandering armadillo takes the reader on a trip through Texas.
- I'm Going to Texas/Yo voy a Tejas
- by Mary Dodson Wade, translated by Guadalupe C. Quintanilla. Colophon House, 1995
- Bilingual rhyming story of a child's preparations for a trip to Texas.
- Legend of the Bluebonnet/La leyenda de la flor “El Conejo”: una antigua leyenda de Texas
- by Tommie De Paola; translated into Spanish by Clarita Kohen. Putnam, 1993, 1983
- New Spanish edition of the Comanche legend recounting the bluebonnet's introduction to Texas.
- Twelve Days in Texas
- by Donna D. Cooner. Hendrick-Long, 1994
- A holiday story in rhyme in which gifts of Texas plants and animals are presented.
- Geo-Texas: A Guide to the Earth Sciences
- by Eric R. Swanson. Texas A&M University Press, 1995
- An informative guide to the sky above and the earth below the Lone Star State.
- Gone for the Day: Family fun in Central Texas
- by Deborah Douglas. Texas A&M University Press, 1995
- Eighteen day-long trips centered from San Antonio that highlight the area's geographic features.
- Introducing Mammals to Young Naturalists
- by Ilo Hiller/Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, 1990
- Examines species such as the prairie dog, beaver, armadillo, and porcupine.