Author John Erickson has devoted his writing life to sharing the joys and challenges of life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle with generations of readers.

The author of the beloved and wildly successful Hank the Cowdog series—84 books, which have sold more than 10 million copies—sets his children’s books in the ranch setting he knows like the back of his hand. Erickson, who worked as a cowboy for many years, and his wife Kris live on a ranch near Perryton.

“I think I’ve done a pretty good job of describing my little piece of Texas and the universe,” he said, “and it contains a lot of funny and interesting characters.”

The Texas Center for the Book has chosen Hank the Cowdog #83: The Case of the Poison Toad by Erickson as the 2026 Texas Great Read Youth Selection. Small Town Author, also by Erickson, is the 2026 Texas Great Read Adult Selection.

Small Town Author, published by Texas Tech University Press, is Erickson’s autobiography and shares his journey from the small town to the big city and back again. Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the Poison Toad, published by Maverick Books and illustrated by Nicolette G. Earley, continues Hank’s adventures with his sidekick Drover.

This marks the first time the Texas Center for the Book has selected Adult and Youth Great Reads by the same author. We are proud to announce our titles for 2026 and to celebrate Erickson and his many years of creating books for children that are deeply rooted in the ranching heritage of Texas.

Hank the Cowdog at the National Ranching Heritage Center

When it came time for the National Ranching Heritage Center, a museum and historical park at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, to find a way to teach kids about ranching life, Hank the Cowdog was a natural fit.

“There’s a real authenticity to Hank,” said Julie Hodges, the Helen DeVitt Jones Endowed Director of Education at the Center. “John Erickson wrote about the ranch experience based on his real experience. He really was a cowboy, and he lives on a ranch to this day. And kids, I think, can see that truthfulness. The books are funny, but they also have heart, courage, friendship, and responsibility woven through them.”

The National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of ranching in North America, Hodges explained. “We have more than 50 authentic ranching structures that were relocated to our site and reconstructed so that visitors can literally walk through history from the 1700s forward. But we’re also focused on the future. Our mission is also about helping people understand modern ranching, stewardship of the land, food systems, natural resources, and the people who depend on the land for their livelihoods today.”

Like many Texans, Hodges grew up reading the Hank the Cowdog books, read them to her own children, and now reads them to her grandson. She reached out to Erickson in 2014, and a wonderful partnership was born. At his first book reading at the Center, more than a thousand people came.

Learning about ranching

One of the results of this partnership is an educational book series. The Ranch Life Learning Series consists of five books, written by Erickson and starring Hank the Cowdog, that teach students about ranch life. Titles include Ranching and Livestock, Cowboys and Horses, Ranch Weather, and more. The books are available through the Ranching Heritage website, through Amazon, or the hankthecowdog.com website.

The Center has developed educational materials paired with each book. All are free to download and popular with elementary school libraries around the country.

Visit the Ranch Life Learning Center in Lubbock

If you’re able to get to West Texas in person, at the Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center (part of the National Ranching Heritage Center) you can explore what life on a ranch is like, with Hank the Cowdog as your guide!

Indoor exhibits explain aspects of modern ranching; outdoor exhibits bring Hank’s M-Cross ranch to life. Watch the video for a look at the exhibits.

“Hank the Cowdog has this loyal following and trustworthiness with parents and teachers and librarians everywhere. So having him in our museum is just another way to welcome folks in and give them an opportunity to learn about ranching in a way that is very natural,” Hodges said.

Learn more about the National Ranching Heritage Center: https://ranchingheritage.org/learn/ranch-life-learning/

Register for our June 10 virtual author talk with John Erickson, discussing the 2026 Great Reads: REGISTER

Above, families and children enjoy storytime with Batman at BookSpring Fest 2025.

This month, the Texas Center for the Book is honored to have Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director of BookSpring, talk with us about her wonderful organization, which focuses on building literacy skills for children. Emily is also an author and playwright, so we’ll be discussing that, too! Thank you for joining us, Emily!

Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director of BookSpring

Q: For our readers, please tell us about what BookSpring is and what it does.

A: BookSpring is a nonprofit based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to building early literacy and book ownership for children and families. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked to increase access to books and reading, because research shows that children who grow up with books at home are more likely to succeed in school and in life. We distribute about 250,000 books to 100,000 children from birth to age 12 each year.

Q: The audience for our blog is public and school librarians in Texas. What programs does BookSpring have that you’d like to share with them? How do they apply?

A: Our Books Beginning at Birth program is available to families across the state. It’s a program that provides young children and their families access to books and resources to support the development of early literacy skills and help them foster a love of reading. You can learn more at b3tx.org. All families can access an open library of hundreds of digital children’s books. Once enrolled, children may receive free print books delivered to their home twice a year until they turn five. (Supplies are limited and preference is given to children living in Texas Opportunity Zones.) Learn more and apply here.

In addition, in Central Texas (Travis, Williamson, and surrounding counties) we offer two in-person programs designed to reach children from birth through age 12:

• Books for Me (ages 3–12): Provides “forever books” that children choose and take home through school or childcare center events. We provide up to four books per child with motivational activities and volunteer support for libraries.
• ReadWell (ages 0–6): Partners with pediatricians to give books during well-child checkups.

We have a number of free Open Access resources that librarians can share:

• Open Digital Library & Book App (ages 3-8): Over 1,200 free, flipbook, downloadable, printable books in English and Spanish.
• Bibi’s Weekly Themes (ages 3–8): Sets of early childhood curriculum aligned books with guided activities for home learning.
• Penny’s Rapid Reads (ages 9–12): A digital flash fiction e-zine with short, punchy stories perfect for tweens and independent readers.
• Weekly Family Newsletter (Parents of children age 0-8): Free email delivered statewide with seasonal activities, book recommendations, and tips for parents to support daily reading. 

Q: Can you tell us more about your program, ReadWell, where pediatricians give out free books at children’s annual well-checks?

A: ReadWell began when we recognized how trusted pediatricians are to families, and how powerful that moment can be to encourage daily reading. During annual well-child checkups, doctors give children an age-appropriate book and remind parents about the importance of reading aloud every day. Families tell us the program makes reading feel like a “doctor’s order” for healthy development. Clinics sign up with us for monthly or quarterly book shipments to support their efforts.

In 2024 alone, over 20,000 children received books through ReadWell. And because well-checks happen every year, these children grow up with a steady supply of new books tied to their developmental stages. We get continuously positive feedback from parents and providers, and research shows this model does improve kindergarten readiness.

Q: What inspires you on a daily basis in your work?

A: The joy on a child’s face when they choose and keep a book of their very own never gets old. Knowing that these moments build confidence, language, and family bonds inspires our team every single day.

Q: What’s a book you’ve read recently for fun, that you’d recommend?

A: I love poetry and have recently discovered Irish poet David Whyte. I recommend Essentials because he includes background information for each poem and invites us into a genuine conversation with reality. His writing doesn’t offer easy answers. It opens doors to deeper questions, showing profound insight into what it means to be human. Each page feels like both a challenge and a comfort, reminding me to live more fully present in the world. 

Q: Please tell us about your upcoming book, and about the plays you’ve written.

A: My new book is called Managing by Way of Impermanence: A Simple Method for More Enlightened Leadership. It’s a business book for the workplace, for people looking for guidance on how do I manage my team, how do I help my team deal with all the changes that are happening? It offers a compassionate approach to leadership that embraces uncertainty. The book is scheduled to come out in November.

My best-known play is Becoming Brontë. (This is a two-act play based on the early lives of Charlotte and Emily Brontë, who wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, respectively.) It won the Austin Critic’s Table Award and is about a magnetic young curate who comes to stay with the Brontë family, sparking emotional upheaval between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. You can learn more about my book, plays, and other work at www.emilyballcicchini.com.

Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?

A: We know librarians are champions of literacy, and we’d love to partner with you. Whether it’s hosting a Books for Me event, sharing our Digital Library, using Bibi’s Weekly Themes with PreK through second grade classrooms, recommending Penny’s Rapid Reads to tweens, or inviting families to sign up for our Weekly Newsletter, you play a critical role. Together, we can make sure every child in Texas has the chance to grow up with books.

Get started today:

• Partner with BookSpring: https://bookspring.org/en/about/partners/
• Share our Free Digital Library: https://bookspring.org/en/family-reading/digital-library/
• Explore Bibi’s Weekly Themes: https://bookspring.org/en/bibis-weekly-themes/
• Read Penny’s Rapid Reads: https://pennys-rapid-reads.bookspring.org.
• Sign up for the Weekly Family Newsletter: https://bookspring.org/en/b3-family-newsletter/

Students enjoying their new books after participating in Books for Me at Manor ISD.

The Talking Book Program (TBP) is one of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s most beloved programs. TBP provides free library services to qualifying Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. TBP is part of the National Library Service to the Blind and Print Disabled, a program administered by the Library of Congress. While TBP is well-known for their assistance to those with visual disabilities, many people are unaware that TBP is also a great resource for students with dyslexia.

Alicia Topolnycky, TBP Engagement Specialist, sat down with us to talk about how TBP can help students with dyslexia.

Alicia Topolnycky, TBP Engagement Specialist

Q: In what ways can the Talking Book Program help students with dyslexia?

A: The Talking Book Program provides dyslexic students access to more than 169,000 audiobooks and audio magazines, completely free of charge. TBP’s collection includes literary classics that might be assigned reading at school, bestsellers, and fiction and nonfiction books in all genres, with more titles being added daily. The collection includes books for all ages and all reading levels. Students with dyslexia who listen to their books have an advantage in the classroom. Those who regularly listen to audiobooks can build better phonological awareness. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Arkansas found that reluctant readers who participated in an audiobook club at school became more excited about reading and their test scores improved. With TBP, a world of learning and imagination can open up for students with dyslexia.

Q: Who should schools contact here at TSLAC if they’d like to implement this program?

A: Schools can find the School Classroom Application Form on our website at www.texastalkingbooks.org. They will then email the completed form to our Reader Services team at tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov. If schools have any questions about signing up, they can call our team at 1-800-252-9605.

Q: Can parents also sign up for their child? How do you register?

A: To register, parents/guardians will need to submit an Individual Application form that states their child has a qualifying visual, physical, or reading disability. The form must then be certified by a non-family member called a “Certifying Authority,” who is any professional staff of a public or welfare agency, or any medical professional, who can confirm that the student’s disability prevents them from reading standard print materials.

Eligibility must be certified by one of the following: Doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, psychologist, registered nurse, therapist, or professional staff of hospitals, institutions, public or welfare agencies (such as an educator, social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, school psychologist, superintendent, or librarian). Applications cannot be certified by family members.

The application form is available in English and Spanish, as a fillable PDF, on our website www.texastalkingbooks.org.

Q: How old do students need to be to qualify for the program? What documentation do they need?

A: There is no minimum age for patrons of the Talking Book Program. Parents do not need to include any medical documentation or health insurance information in their application. Simply fill out the easy four-page application form, get it certified by a Certifying Authority, and send it to us.

Q: What type of device do they need to have to run BARD, and what if they don’t have a compatible device?

A: Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) works on any smartphone or tablet that has the Apple App Store or Google Play Store; including Chromebooks. BARD Express is available on any Windows-based desktop or laptop personal computer. If you don’t have one of those compatible devices, we can mail you one of our Digital Talking Book Machines, or DTBMs, along with some cartridges that are loaded up with your favorite audiobooks. The DTBM works offline and on-the-go.

Q: How many students in Texas are using TBP in this way?

A: There are currently more than 6,000 patrons under the age of 18 actively using TBP all across Texas.

Q: What resources are available to students and teachers?

A: In addition to thousands of books and magazines in audio format, TBP provides physical large print books and large print accessible games. Students and teachers can also benefit from personalized service from reader consultants and librarians, who can create custom bibliographies on nearly any topic from our available titles. Bilingual staff is available to assist those patrons who speak Spanish.

Q: What is the most common question you are hearing from families and schools, about TBP for students with dyslexia?

A: Families and schools are curious about how TBP compares with other audiobook services, especially those aimed at students with reading disabilities, like Learning Ally and Bookshare. All three services are available only to students with qualifying disabilities, have a robust number of titles in their collection, and are compatible with many playback devices. All three never have wait times; unlike some local libraries that deliver audiobooks through Libby or Hoopla. The difference is TBP doesn’t have textbooks nor a read-along component (where the text of a book scrolls across the screen while the audiobook plays), while Bookshare and Learning Ally do.

Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?

A: TBP has a department called the Disability Information and Referral Center (DIRC) that offers health-related information and answers to questions about disabilities. They have information about dyslexia resources, scholarships/grants, local support groups, medical equipment, assistive technology and more. The DIRC can be contacted by anyone in the state of Texas: you do not need to be a registered patron of TBP to use the DIRC’s free reference service.

Q: Where should people go for more information?

A: For more information about the Talking Book Program, make sure you visit our website www.texastalkingbooks.org, or call our Reader Services team at 1-800-252-9605. To stay in the loop about book clubs, author talks, the summer reading program and more events and services, parents can sign up for either our adult or youth monthly email newsletter! Educators who are interested in attending a CPE-eligible comprehensive training on the Talking Book Program can contact me at atopolnycky@tsl.texas.gov.

Above: Level 2 (Grade 7-8) winner Shireen Valasagandla with author Andrea Davis Pinkney.

At the Letters About Literature Texas awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas during the Texas Library Association 2025 Annual Conference, student winners from across the state were honored. Award-winning children’s author Andrea Davis Pinkney gave the keynote address.

The three first-place winners each read their letters aloud to the audience and received their awards. (Click the links below to read their winning letters.) Each first-place winner was given a certificate and $300, as well as an additional $300 for their school library.

Lily Qiu of Addison, Greenhill School, wrote to Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk.

Shireen Valasagandla of Round Rock, Ridgeview Middle School, wrote to Jessie Diggins, author of Brave Enough.

Kayla Padilla of Mission, PSJA Collegiate School of Health Professions, wrote to Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart.

Level 1 (Grade 4-6) winner Lily Qiu with her certificate, presented by Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos.

Pinkney, the author, praised the students in her address.

“You have arrived with a wealth of letter-writing surprises, and you have filled us with so much joy. You have crafted letters that tell an unforgettable story,” Pinkney said. “It’s from so many of us who see you, hear you, cheer you, celebrate you, who you truly are—that is what we celebrate. A constellation of voices igniting the world. You are worthy of this. Because you sparkle, and you shine.”

Next, Pinkney shared the personal stories behind her newest book, And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life in Stories. It’s a picture book about legendary author Toni Morrison, illustrated by Daniel Minter. Pinkney worked as an editor for Morrison many years ago, and they were close friends.

Later, Pinkney signed copies of her book, Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It, and posed for photos with the winning students.

Level 3 (Grade 9-12) winner Kayla Padilla with Andrea Davis Pinkney.

In the Letters About Literature Texas competition, students read a book, poem, short story, or other written work and write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world.

Hundreds of students entered from across the state, and the level of competition was high. There were three categories of competition: grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12.

You can find a full list of the winners here.

The Texas Center for the Book will open the 2025-2026 Letters About Literature competition this fall.

Lina Burklin is the recipient of the 2025 Martha Wong Scholarship, awarded by the Texas Library and Archives Foundation. This new scholarship opportunity supports students enrolled in a Texas library/information science or school library certification program with a reimbursable grant of $2,000 for tuition and/or textbooks. Burklin is currently working as the cataloguer at the Judy B. McDonald Public Library in Nacogdoches while earning her Master of Library Science degree from Texas Woman’s University. We enjoyed getting to know her and think you will, too.

Q: Congratulations on winning the Wong Scholarship! What does winning this scholarship mean to you?

A: I was surprised and just so honored that my application was chosen. I mean, I know there are many wonderful people pursuing library science degrees in Texas right now. It’s been a big encouragement, since I’m making a career shift from teaching into library science. And it’s helping me see that I’m in the right place, that I’m making a difference where I am, and it’s encouraging to have that recognized.

Q: What inspired you to become a librarian?

A: I’ve been a lifelong avid reader, ever since I can remember. As a teacher, I’ve always loved teaching literature and creative writing. It was time to do something new with my career [Burklin taught middle school for 14 years], and I was looking for something where I’d still be helping people, working with people, and educating. And there’s a whole lot of that in library science. And my grandmother was also a librarian.

Q: Tell me about your experiences working in a public library.

A: I love that you just never know what’s going to happen from day to day. I’ve done a little bit of everything, including shelving, book repair, book processing. Right now, I’m a cataloger, so I’m doing logging and processing. I’m also selecting some books, which is fun. I’ve been asked to do things from proofreading people’s resumes to tech support where people hand me their phone and ask me to make it work. People ask for book recommendations. I did have somebody come in and ask me to get him a divorce, and I had to explain I couldn’t do that, that’s not a service we provide [laughs]. I did help him go to texaslawhelp.org, to help him with the process. It’s just so many things, but it’s great. And I have some of the best coworkers.

Q: In your MLS studies at Texas Woman’s University, is there a favorite class or professor you’d like to mention? What has been the most rewarding part about your studies?

A: This is my third semester. [The MLS degree program at Texas Woman’s University is available entirely online.] And in my first semester, I took Dr. Aaron Elkins’ Foundations of Library Studies. And it was just so phenomenal. I feel like I learned so much from that intro course. And one of the things he does that I love is a weekly Zoom call with the class. And initially I was like, “Oh this is going to be so annoying.” But it became one of my favorite things. We’d get a chance to interact with him and with each other. He would lecture, and then we would break into small groups and get to talk with people. Just to talk to other people was huge.  

Q: Who are three of your favorite authors (living or dead)?

A: Well, I was glad you asked for three and not just one, because that’s such a hard question. And even three, I had to really think about it. Brandon Sanderson (the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive) is one of my favorite authors, I love science fiction and fantasy. Rosemary Sutcliff (The Eagle of the Ninth) is a British author of historical fiction who has spoiled me for most other historical fiction. And J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings). The stories are just so, so powerful.

Q: What is a Texas book (by a Texan, or set in Texas, or both) that you’d recommend to our readers, and why?

A: I read very widely, and not specifically geographically, but I think I’d have to come back to Holes, by Louis Sachar. As a teacher, it was one of my favorite books to teach. And I loved it because my kids, for the first two sessions, were like, “This book is dumb, why are we doing this?” But then by the second or third time, they’d be like, “Don’t stop reading!” Because they were so into the story. I love the complexity of the story; I love that it’s about friendship, and the about the power of choices. What we do matters.

Q: In your scholarship application, you wrote very eloquently about the importance of libraries to a community. Could you share some of your answer with us here today?

A: Once I started working in libraries, I realized just how vital they were as a way of connecting people. We tend to think of libraries as connecting people with information, which of course they do, but we also do a lot of connecting people with resources. People who need help and they don’t even know where to start, will come to us. We share with them: here are organizations that can help you locally, these are places you can go. And libraries are also a way to connect with community, for example through our various programs. People meet at a library program who might not meet anywhere else, and find out they have common interests.

And in our culture, there’s just not a lot of places you can just go and be and you are not expected to buy something. And I also realize for a lot of our patrons, we’re the first people who have listened to them that day, it’s obvious. To get a chance to work with people who might not have anywhere else to go—I wish we could do more. Sometimes they just need to talk and have someone listen, and it’s such a privilege to be able to provide that.

Q: Where do you picture yourself five years from now?

A: I don’t have a specific place in mind, so much, but obviously I want to stay in public libraries. I’ve just really fallen in love with what we offer at public libraries and what we do. I’d like to gain some experience with reference work, but I hope I’m still cataloging in five years.

Q: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read and why?

A: I enjoy science fiction and fantasy for many reasons. I think the question “What if?” is so profound. What if this was the way the world worked? What if you could live on another planet, or what if magic was just part of the laws of science? Fiction gives you a way to see situations from a new perspective.

Q: What’s the first book you ever loved?

A: It’s a series: C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. My mom read those out loud to use when we were kids. I just love that world so much. I always hoped that somehow, I’d open a cupboard and be able to slip into Narnia myself.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.