Children's Book Suggestions | Native American Heritage MonthUnpublished

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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)

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

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)

Fans of The Boxcar Children will love this story of four cousins solving mysteries on their Windy Lake reserve in Canada. (Cree, Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

Eight traditional stories from throughout North America, told and illustrated by Indigenous creators. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

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)

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)

One of last year's OBOB books, this novel focuses on two Indigenous young teens living in foster care who find a secret portal that connects them with their heritage. (Cree, Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

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)

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)

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