Native American Books for Kids

There is joy in seeing yourself reflected in books and there is knowledge in reading other’s stories. Below are not every book on a community but titles specially chosen by our librarians

Updated June 20, 2026
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The barren grounds
Robertson, David
Paper Book
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home until they find a secret portal...
Berry song
Goade, Michaela author, illustrator.
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...
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...
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...
Keepunumuk : Weea?chumun's Thanksgiving story
Greendeer, Danielle
Paper Book
Written and illustrated by four Indigenous creators, this beautiful picture book honors both the history and tradition that surrounds the story of the first Thanksgiving. Discover the first Thanksgiving through Wampanoag eyes, as the Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow the...
Legendary Frybread Drive-In Intertribal Stories
Smith, Cynthia Leitich.
Ebook
Michael L. Printz Award Winner American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter...
A man called Horse : John Horse and the Black Seminole Underground Railroad
Turner, Glennette Tilley
Paper Book
John Horse (c. 1812-1882, also known as Juan Caballo) was a famed chief, warrior, tactician, and diplomat who played a dominant role in Black Seminole affairs for half a century. His story is central to that of the Black Seminoles-descendants of Seminole Indians, free Blacks, and escaped slaves...
We all play = Kimêtawânaw
Flett, Julie
Paper Book
A BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Times, Washington Post, New York Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Globe and Mail, Horn Book, and Boston Globe "This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language...
A Snake Falls to Earth
Badger, Darcie Little.
Ebook
Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the...
Thunder Boy Jr.
Alexie, Sherman, 1966-
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Sherman Alexie and Caldecott Honor winning Yuyi Morales comes a striking and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrating the special relationship between father and son. Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name...one that's all his...
We are grateful : otsaliheliga
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
The Cherokee community is grateful for the blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by best-selling Cherokee author Traci Sorell. This award-winning seasonal picture book is for 3-7-year-olds interested in contemporary Indigenous...
We are water protectors
Lindstrom, Carole, 1964- author.
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,...

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