Texas Topaz Nonfiction Gems 2023 (Gr. 3-5)

"A Nigerian storyteller explores the continent of Africa country by country: its geography, peoples, animals, history, resources, and cultural diversity. The book is divided into five distinct sections--South, East, West, Central, and North--and each country is showcased on its own bright, energetic page brimming with friendly facts on science, industry, food, sports, music, wildlife, landscape features, even snippets of local languages"--

"A picture book biography of Jewish refugee Ralph Baer, the pioneering inventor of home video gaming"--

"Chloe Tyler explores the art styles of master artists from da Vinci to Basquiat in this tasty book for art lovers of all ages. Each pink frosted donut was created to show the techniques used by the artist and explore how artists have influenced each other over time. Every donut is paired with information about the artist, their art style, and what makes them unique. Cultured Donuts includes tips on how to try recreating the art styles of each artist...

"Defining infinity is difficult. But there is one thing people do every day that leads to infinity counting. No matter what large number you name, there is always a larger number. By reading this book, kids can begin to think about this and other powerful ideas involving infinity, including how infinity relates to rocket science. Featuring clear text and beautiful photographs, this is an excellent choice for kids who want to delve deeper into math...

Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together… until, first, a band and, then, a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz: music for the head, the heart, and the hips....

"Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together... until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then...

Era la década de 1940 en la segregada cuidad de Nueva York. Ya sea que bailaras al sonido de las trompetas y los saxofones en un salón en el barrio italiano o en la calle al son de maracas y congas en el barrio puertorriqueño, generalmente bailabas en el lugar donde vivías y con gente de tu mismo origen. Pero antes de que terminara la década, una nueva sala de baile - el Palladium – acogió a personas de todos los vecindarios. Cuando Millie...

"What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this whip-smart, funny, and informative young readers adaptation of her best-selling Packing for Mars, Roach guides us through the irresistibly strange, frequently gross, and awe-inspiring...

When Kip Tiernan was growing up during the Great Depression, she'd help her granny feed the men who came to their door asking for help. As Kip grew older, and as she continued to serve food to hungry people, she noticed something peculiar: huddled at the back of serving lines were women dressed as men. At the time, it was believed that there were no women experiencing homelessness. And yet Kip would see women sleeping on park benches and searching...

"The story of guitarist Jimi Hendrix's career told in verse"--