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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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...

This award-winning novel in verse about a young girl's experiences living with her grandparents in 2020 is also on the 2023 OBOB list. (Wabanaki, Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

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 Makoons Azure is...

A great choice for fans of Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby. (Ojibwe, Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

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
Ebook
"A groundbreaking Indigenous anthology for young people . . . A joyful invitation to celebrate the circle of ancestors together." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both...

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)

Race to the sun
Roanhorse, Rebecca
Paper Book
Lately, seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he's Mr. Charles, her dad's new boss at the oil and gas company, and he's alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their...

A Rick Riordan presents fantasy adventure story starring a contemporary middle school student and characters from traditional Navajo stories. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

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)

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...

A tween boy's search for his mother is aided by animals and other beings from Cherokee lore, highlighting the epidemic of missing women in Native American communities. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Borders
King, Thomas
Paper Book
A People Magazine Best Book ★ "The thematic and literary richness of this story is exhilarating."-- Horn Book, starred review ★ "An important and accessible modern tale."-- School Library Journal, starred review...

A graphic novel adaptation of Thomas King's famous short story about a boy detained on the US-Canada border when his mother chooses to identify her citizenship solely as Blackfoot. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Thunderous
Smoker, M. L.
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2023 HIGH PLAINS BOOK AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S MIDDLE GRADE!   If Aiyana hears one more traditional Lakota story, she'll scream! More interested in her social media presence than her Native American heritage, Aiyana is shocked when she suddenly finds herself in...

A tween more interested in her social media presence than traditional Lakota stories finds herself trapped in the spirit world in this epic graphic novel. (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)

Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories
Jones, Dan Sasuweh
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! A shiver-inducing collection of short stories to read under the covers, from a breadth of American Indian nations. Dark figures in the night. An owl's cry on the wind. Monsters watching from the edge of the wood. Some of...

A compendium of traditional and modern spooky stories and urban legends that fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will love. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

Eagle drums
Hopson, Nasug raq Rainey
Paper Book
**A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK** A magical middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Arctic tradition. With beautifully hand-drawn full color art throughout! As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must...

Hatchet fans will love the outdoor adventures in this retelling of a traditional Inupiaq story. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

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)

Of all tribes : American Indians and Alcatraz
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
In Of All Tribes, Abenaki children's book icon Joseph Bruchac tells the stirring history of the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz by Native Americans, which established a precedent for Indian activism. "Alcatraz is not an island. It's an idea." --activist...

A story of a famous Civil Rights-era protest movement led by Indigenous North Americans, the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz. (Children's Nonfiction Age 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)

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.<...

An award-winner and former OBOB pick from Oregon-born author Charlene Willing McManis tells the story of her family's relocation to Los Angeles after the loss of their traditional lands in the 1950s. (Klamath, Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Rabbit chase
LaPensě, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland in this coming-of-age graphic novel that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass. Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to ...

A two-spirit Anishinaabe tween follows a white rabbit into the woods on a class field trip in this Indigenous take on Alice in Wonderland. (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)

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...

Nathan goes to stay with his grandmother on her Navajo reservation for the summer and must help a powerful spirit being as well as his family members. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

Powwow : a celebration through song and dance
Pheasant-Neganigwane, Karen
Paper Book
Key Selling Points Beginning with a historical look at the origins of powwow and then moving on to what they look like today, this book is a practical guide to the songs, dances, regalia, culture and food associated with different powwows across North America. ...

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


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