Children's Books for Native American Heritage Month

A selection of picture books, beginning readers, novels, graphic novels, nonfiction, and biography by Native American authors.

Updated September 9, 2025
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1

Bowwow powwow : bagosenjige-niimi'idim
Child, Brenda J.
Paper Book
Windy Girl is blessed with a vivid imagination. From Uncle she gathers stories of long-ago traditions, about dances and sharing and gratitude. Windy can tell such stories herself-about her dog, Itchy Boy, and the way he dances to request a treat and how he wriggles with joy in response to, well,...

2

Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!
Coulson, Art
Paper Book
Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling! Bo wants to find the perfect container to show off his traditional marbles for the Cherokee national Holiday. It needs to be just the right size- big enough to fit all the marbles, but not too big to fit in his family's...

3

Dance fast
Cribbins, AR
Paper Book
This charming and humorous book celebrates Pomo traditions and explores creative frustration, perfectionism, and the value in embracing your mistakes.  I want to dance! Bizzy can't wait to dance with all her friends and family at...

4

Loaf the cat goes to the powwow
DeShaw, Nicholas
Paper Book
A Native American boy's cat surprises him at his first powwow-making for a very special dance indeed! Loaf the cat loves to play with her boy, and when she's particularly happy, she'll make the purr sound for him. She also likes to keep tabs on him, so when he disappears one day,...

5

A family tree
Drouillard, Staci Lola
Paper Book
A modern-day twist to The Giving Tree, this book chronicles the changes brought upon a beloved family tree that must be uprooted and planted on new land. This debut picture book by Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant) celebrates...

6

This land
Fairbanks, Ashley
Paper Book
This engaging story about native landsinvites kids to trace history and explore their communities. "An adorable primer on the history of land."--PEOPLE.com Before my family lived in this house, a different family did, and before them, another family, and another...

7

Berry song
Goade, Michaela
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book! An Indie Bestseller! Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders. On...

8

Fierce aunties!
Goodluck, Laurel
Paper Book
A joyful and vibrant celebration of what makes aunties so special, from Indigenous author and illustrator team Laurel Goodluck and Steph Littlebird inviting all kids to connect with the fierce aunties in their lives. Who do you go to for advice and support? Or when you want an...

9

Keepunumuk : Weea?chumun's Thanksgiving story
Greendeer, Danielle
Paper Book
In this Wampanoag story told in a Native tradition, two kids from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe learn the story of Wee chumun (corn) and the first Thanksgiving. A beautiful new classic perfect for fall. Written and illustrated by four Indigenous creators, this picture book for 3-7-year...

10

For a girl becoming
Harjo, Joy
Paper Book
A baby girl is welcomed to the breathing world by generations of her family and set on the magnificent journey of becoming. As she grows, she is reminded of her connections to the natural world; to her family, her ancestors, her neighbors; to the source of all magic and sorrow--and of her...

11

We are water protectors
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors,...

12

Fry bread : a Native American family story
Maillard, Kevin Noble
Paper Book
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal An American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner "A wonderful and sweet book . . . Lovely stuff." --The New York Times Book Review Told in lively and powerful verse by...

13

The cloud artist
Maret, Sherri
Paper Book
Born with the gift of painting with the clouds, Leona, a little Choctaw girl, uses the Oklahoma sky as her canvas to the delight of her people. When a traveling hawker hears about her talent and invites her to join the carnival, the Cloud Artist must make a decision about what kind of artist she...

14

Grandma's tipi : a present-day Lakota story
Nelson, S. D.
Paper Book
Now that Clara is almost in third grade, she's finally old enough to spend her first summer away from home visiting her grandma, Unci, and her cousin at their home in Standing Rock Reservation. To welcome her visit, Uncle Louie brings an extra-special surprise in his pickup truck: the tipi that's...

15

Stitches of tradition : gashkigwaaso tradition
Rendon, Marcie R.
Paper Book
"Noozhishenh, bimadiziwin," Nookomis says. "My granddaughter, live a good life." An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night. In the morning, her growing...

16

Chooch helped
Rogers, Andrea L.
Paper Book
A Cherokee girl introduces her younger brother to their family's traditions -- begrudgingly! -- in this Caldecott Medal winning picture book written by Walter Award-winner Andrea L. Rogers and featuring gorgeous collage illustrations from debut artist Rebecca Lee Kunz. Sissy's...

17

Clack, clack! Smack! : a Cherokee stickball story
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
Vann, a struggling stickball player, competes in a game on the Cherokee Nation. Can he help his team win? Written by award-winning Cherokee author Traci Sorell, sports lovers ages 4 to 7 are sure to love this action-packed book. Vann loves playing his tribe's...

18

The good game
David, Arihhonni
Paper Book
How can the small mouse and squirrel play lacrosse with the big animals? A fun Native American tale that first graders can read on their own. A game of lacrosse is about to begin--with the four-legged animals facing off against the winged animals. Mouse and Squirrel want to join!...

19

Rez dogs
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation...

20

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...

21

The birchbark house
Erdrich, Louise.
Other
"[In this] story of a young Ojibwa girl, Omakayas, living on an island in Lake Superior around 1847, Louise Erdrich is reversing the narrative perspective used in most children's stories about nineteenth-century Native Americans. Instead of looking out at 'them' as dangers or curiosities, Erdrich,...

22

The storyteller
Hobson, Brandon
Paper Book
From National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson, a kaleidoscopic middle-grade adventure that mixes the anxieties, friendships, and wonders of a Cherokee boy's life with Cherokee history and lore. Ziggy has ANXIETY. Partly this is because of the way his mind works, and how overwhelmed he...

23

The luminous life of Lucy Landry
Johnson, Anna Rose
Paper Book
Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers--and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking... Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor's...

24

Indian no more
McManis, Charlene Willing
Paper Book
American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner - American Indian Library Association When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.<...

25

The used-to-be best friend
Quigley, Dawn
Paper Book
American Indian Youth Literature Award: Middle Grade Honor Book! Hello/Boozhoo--meet Jo Jo Makoons! Full of pride, joy, and plenty of humor, this first book in an all-new chapter book series by Dawn Quigley celebrates a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is. Jo Jo...

26

Ancestor approved : intertribal stories for kids
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
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...

27

On a wing and a tear
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Melanie "Mel" Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations...

28

The summer of the bone horses
Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk
Paper Book
A Lakota child spends a summer with grandparents at their home on the Rosebud Reservation in this young chapter book, illustrated in full-color This charming chapter book follows a present-day Lakota child connecting with extended family, embracing new experiences, and growing...

29

Stone River crossing
Tingle, Tim
Paper Book
From the award-winning author of How I Became a Ghost, a tale of unlikely friendship and miracles. When Martha Tom helps Lil Mo and his family escape from the plantation across the river, it's just the beginning of a Choctaw adventure of a lifetime. Martha Tom knows better...

30

Tana Cooks with Care
Wells, Stacy.
Paper Book
It's time for the second-grade school play, and everyone gets a part! There's just one problem. Tana's good friend Ana is nervous about auditioning. As Tana looks for ways to help her friend, she cooks to show that she cares. Will she find the winning recipe to keeping Ana calm and confident?

31

Healer of the water monster
Young, Brian
Paper Book
American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner: Best Middle Grade Book! Brian Young's powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster--and comes to realize he's a hero at heart. When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali...

32

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...

33

Rabbit chase
LaPensée, Elizabeth
Paper Book
A BookRiot Don't-Miss 2022 Queer Graphic Novels & Memoirs * "Rabbit Chase is a welcome intersectional work for today's youth."--Traci Sorell, award-winning author of We Are Still Here! and At the Mountain's Base Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in...

34

The woman in the woods and other North American stories
McDonald, Kel
Paper Book
"Enjoyable for reading aloud or sharing around a campfire." -- KIRKUS "Be careful of what you accept from spirits." Loup Garrou, trickster rabbits, and spirits with names that can't be spoken -- the plains and forests of North America...

35

The ribbon skirt
Mukwa, Cameron
Paper Book
A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow.Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the...

36

Can you hear the plants speak?
Hummingbird, Nicholas
Paper Book
Our people believe spirit lives in everything. Mountain, river, wind, tree.                                 ...

37

Stealing Little Moon : the legacy of the American Indian boarding schools
Jones, Dan C.
Paper Book
"Stealing Little Moon is both a moving family saga and an expertly told true story that all Americans should know." --Steve Sheinkin, New York Times bestselling author of Bomb and Undefeated Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched,...

38

Kindred spirits : shilombish ittibachvffa
Widener, Leslie Stall
Paper Book
A nonfiction picture book about the inspiring true pay-it-forward story that bridges two continents, 175 years, and two events in history--connecting Ireland, Choctaw Nation, Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribe. Choctaw author Leslie Stall and Navajo illustrator Johnson Yazzie come...

39

Chester Nez and the unbreakable code : a Navajo code talker's story
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection April 2018 2018 Cybils Award Finalist, Elementary Non-Fiction BRLA 2018 Southwest Book Award 2019 Southwest Books of the Year: Kid Pick 2020 Grand Canyon Award, Nonfiction Nominee 2020-2021...

40

Sharice's big voice : a native kid becomes a congresswoman
Davids, Sharice
Paper Book
This acclaimed picture book autobiography tells the triumphant story of Sharice Davids, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas. When Sharice Davids was young, she never thought she'd be in Congress....

41

Shaped by her hands : potter Maria Martinez
Freeman, Anna Harber
Paper Book
Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers 2021 A Junior Library Guild Selection April 2021 Kirkus Best Picture-Book Biographies of 2021 Great Reads from Great Places 2022: New Mexico Land of...

42

Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone
Maraniss, Andrew
Paper Book
The BEYOND THE GAME series features athletes who have stepped up beyond sports to make a difference in the world, from acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss and illustrator DeAndra Hodge. This is the story of Indigenous professional runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone...

43

Wings of an eagle : the gold medal dreams of Billy Mills
Mills, Billy
Paper Book
A ROBERT F. SIBERT INFORMATIONAL BOOK AWARD HONOR BOOK Just in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, here is a dramatic and inspiring autobiographical tale of overcoming odds by Native American gold medalist Billy Mills, with stunning...

44

I am Osage : how Clarence Tinker became the first Native American major general
Rogers, Kim
Paper Book
This informative and inspiring picture book by acclaimed author Kim Rogers (Wichita), with striking artwork by debut illustrator Bobby Von Martin (Choctaw), celebrates the achievements of Clarence Tinker, a member of the Osage Nation who became the first Native American major...

45

Classified : the secret career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee aerospace engineer
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
An American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor Picture Book Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her...

46

I love salmon and lampreys : a native story of resilience
Thompson, Brook M.
Paper Book
A 2025 Read Across America Pick from the National Education Association For young readers, an inspiring story about a river, a successful Native-led movement for environmental justice, and the making of a scientist. Growing up in the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, Brook...

47

Finding my dance
Thundercloud, Ria
Paper Book
In her debut picture book, professional Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage. At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the...

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