Children's Book Suggestions | Native American Heritage Month

This list shares some of our favorite chapter books for readers in Grades 2-8.

For younger readers, see our Native American Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt book list.

Traditional Indigenous stories are shelved in Children's Nonfiction under the number 299.7

Information about federally registered tribes both historically and in the present day is shelved in Children's Nonfiction under the number 973.0497


Updated October 21, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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We still belong
Day, Christine
Paper Book
A thoughtful and heartfelt middle grade novel by American Indian Youth Literature Honor-winning author Christine Day (Upper Skagit), about a girl whose hopeful plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day (and plans to ask her crush to the school dance) go all wrong--until she finds herself...

Pacific Northwest-based author Day tells a modern story about an Indigenous middle schooler navigating her heritage alongside ordinary school drama on Indigenous People's Day. (Upper Skagit, Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Ancestor approved : intertribal stories for kids
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Audiobook
Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. Native families from Nations across the continent gather at...

A collection of short stories by a variety of Indigenous authors, each one from the point of view of a child attending an intertribal powwow in Michigan. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Two tribes
Bowen Cohen, Emily
Paper Book
In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes. Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish...

A contemporary girl with Jewish and Muscogee Creek heritage embarks on an unsanctioned cross-country bus trip to visit her father in Tulsa. (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)

Voices of the people
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
DEVELOPMENT: Voices of the People Trade Book (Hardcover)

Award-winning Abenaki author Bruchac uses short poems to share the accomplishments of 34 Indigenous leaders from North American history. (Children's Nonfiction Age 9-12)

Mascot
Waters, Charles
Ebook
What if a school's mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue. A perfect book for future changemakers and activists seeking contemporary stories about systematic racism and...

Five students, including a girl of Cherokee descent, represent the many voices disagreeing over the status of their school's mascot. (Young Teen Fiction, Grades 5-7)

Jim Thorpe : original All-American
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. He played professional football, Major League Baseball, and won Olympic gold medals in track & field. But his life wasn't an easy one. Born on the Sac and Fox Reservation in 1887, he encountered much family tragedy, and was sent as a young...

A lightly fictionalized biography of Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe, written in the first person to convey the thrilling sports action as Jim succeeds at football, baseball, and track and field. (Sac and Fox, Children's Nonfiction Ages 10-14)

Sisters of the Neversea
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
Five starred reviews! In this beautifully reimagined story by NSK Neustadt Laureate and New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek), Native American Lily and English Wendy embark on a high-flying journey of magic, adventure, and courage to a fairy-tale...

Beloved author and HeartDrum editor Smith takes on Peter Pan, telling a modern version of the story from an Indigenous girl's point of view. (Muscogee Creek, Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The birchbark house
Erdrich, Louise.
Paper Book
For use in schools and libraries only. Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.

A classic from a National Book Award winning novelist, this is a great choice for fans of Little House on the Prairie who are interested in learning more about upper Midwest life in the nineteenth century. (Ojibwe, Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Powwow : a celebration through song and dance
Pheasant-Neganigwane, Karen
Paper Book
★ "Clearly organized and educational--an incredibly useful tool for both school and public libraries." --School Library Journal, starred review Powwowis a celebration of Indigenous song and dance. Journey through the history of powwow culture in North America, from its origins to the...

A great primer on the history and traditions of contemporary North American powwow culture. (Children's Nonfiction Age 9-12)


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