1. Blue Texas: The Making of a Multiracial Democratic Coalition in the Civil Rights Era By Max Krochmal 
Examines the multiracial collaboration of African American, Mexican American, and white labor and community activists in Texas from the 1930s-1960s, as they worked to promote liberal politics and civil rights activism. Draws from archival sources and oral histories to describe how diverse groups united to form the Democratic Coalition of the 1960s and push back against Jim Crow and Juan Crow. Draws comparisons to contemporary efforts by Texas Democrats and organizations like Battleground Texas.
University of North Carolina Press, 2016. 421 pages. 
324.2764 K912B 2016


 

2. Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream By Sara Goldrick-Rab 
Presents evidence that the current financial aid system in the U.S. is failing. Draws from a study of 3,000 students aided by federal aid and Pell grants who entered public colleges and universities in 2008. Describes the results of the study, which found that over half the students left school without a degree and huge amounts of debt due to the exorbitant costs of higher education and a lack of money. Chronicles the experiences of six individuals, whose struggles highlight the human and financial costs of insufficient and short-sighted financial aid policies. Offers practical solutions for fixing the college affordability crisis and saving the American Dream.
The University of Chicago Press, 2016. 373 pages. 
378.3 G569P 2016


 

3. Mission High: One School, How Experts Tried to Fail It, and the Students and Teachers Who Made It Triumph By Kristina Rizga 
Profiles the story of several students, teachers, and the administration of Mission High School in San Francisco, California to illustrate the effect education reforms and standardized testing has on students' education and their futures. Questions how, over the course of four years, students at Mission High School can excel in classes and get accepted into college, yet still struggle with standardized testing metrics which results in a "low-performing" rating for the school. Argues that critical thinking, self-management, personalized classrooms, and cultural flexibility are better suited to gauge qualities that matter most when it comes to learning, not standardized tests.
Nation Books, 2015. 295 pages. 
371.26 R528M 2015


 

4. The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II By Jan Jarboe Russell 
Explores the internment of over 6,000 German, Italian, and Japanese immigrants at Crystal City, Texas during World War II. Focuses on the stories of two American-born children, Ingrid Eiserloh and Sumi Utsushigawa, to show what life was like at the camp which operated from 1942 to 1948. Notes the camp was the center of a government prisoner exchange in which these families were exchanged for Americans being held by Germany and Japan. Concludes the "fundamental questions of citizenship, the status of aliens - indeed the definition of who is and who is not an American - are perennial" and therefore, this story holds high relevance for us today.
Scribner, 2015. 393 pages. 
940.53 R914T


 

5. The Gates of the Alamo: A Novel By Stephen Harrigan 
Tells the famous story of the siege and fall of the Alamo through historical fiction, featuring many historical personalities, including James Bowie, David Crockett, and William B. Travis. Focuses on three characters: naturalist and intellectual Edmund McGowan, widowed innkeeper Mary Mott, and Mary's sixteen-year-old son Terrell Mott. Narrates the Alamo story not only from the perspective of American defenders but Mexican soldiers as well.
A.A. Knopf, 2000. 577 pages. 
813.54 H235G 2000


 

6. Miles and Miles of Texas: 100 Years of the Texas Highway Department By Carol Dawson and Roger Allen Polson
Presents a chronological perspective of the 100-year history of the Texas Highway Department, now called the Texas Department of Transportation. Highlights the development of the department as a state agency, and explores how evolving infrastructure and technological changes led to improvements in modes of transportation. Includes visual elements such as photographs, maps, and illustrations. 
Texas A&M University Press, 2016. 407 pages. 
388.109764 D323M 2016