Indigenous Authors - Recommended reading for children

Updated April 8, 2024
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Winnipeg 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...
Too much : my great big native family
Goodluck, Laurel
Paper Book
A little boy wants a chance to shine on his own but discovers that being apart from his large and lively Native family isn't necessarily better in this heartwarming and humorous picture book. When Russell gets a part in the school play, he lights up like a shining star--and he...

Also available in eBook format.

Remember
Harjo, Joy
Paper Book
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER .AN AMERICAN INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HONOR BOOK.A BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK HONOR AWARD . NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal . Publishers Weekly . The Horn Book .NPR . The Bulletin . Kirkus Reviews
Also available in eBook format.
Stand like a cedar
Campbell, Nicola I.
Paper Book
"Exquisitely illustrated picture book...a tender evocation of the joys of nature and family, [and] a celebration of Indigenous language." --Calgary Herald When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear? Award-winning storyteller Nicola I....

Also available in eBook format.

Heart berry bling
Dupuis, Jenny Kay
Paper Book
On a visit to her granny, Maggie is excited to begin her first-ever beading project: a pair of strawberry earrings. However, beading is much harder than she expected! As they work side by side, Granny shares how beading helped her persevere and stay connected to her Anishinaabe culture when she...
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...
When we are kind
Gray Smith, Monique
Paper Book
"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities--and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others."--Publishers Weekly When We Are Kindcelebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.
My powerful hair
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
Our ancestors say our hair is our memories, our source of strength and power, a celebration of our lives.
Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and streaming video formats.
When we are kind = Nihaa'âadahwiinâit'?ââ¸?igo : [English & Dinâe]
Gray Smith, Monique
Paper Book
"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities--and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others."--Publishers Weekly When We Are Kindcelebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they...
Nous sommes gentils
Gray Smith, Monique
Paper Book
"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities--and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others."--Publishers Weekly When We Are Kindcelebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they...
Why we dance : a story of hope and healing
Havrelock, Deirdre
Paper Book
From Indigenous creative team Deidre Havrelock and Aly McKnight comes a powerful and exuberant story about the heritage, joy, and healing power of the Jingle Dress Dance--a perfect read-aloud picture book.   It's a special day--the day of the Jingle Dress Dance!...
Storyteller Skye : teachings from my Ojibway grandfather
King, Lindsay Christina
Paper Book
Have you ever wondered why Rabbit has such long ears? Or why Raccoon is wearing a mask? In this collection of funny and unique short stories, young Skye enlightens us in a number of Indigenous teachings, passed down to her from her Ojibway Grandfather. Through her natural gift of...
Âmî osâwâpikones = Dear dandelion
Okemow, SJ
Paper Book
A debut picture book that celebrates self-love, care, and resilience with one of the most widespread plants--the dandelion. Both a love letter to the dandelion and a call to love ourselves in a difficult world, Âmî Osâwâpikones reminds us that we are not defined as others see us. Following...
We need everyone
Redhead Champagne, Michael
Paper Book
Everyone has a gift. Every gift is different, and every gift is special. Our world needs you to share your gift. What is your gift? How can you use your gift to help others? We Need Everyone empowers children to identify their gifts and use them to overcome...
The song that called them home
Robertson, David
Paper Book
One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they've arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash....
Also available in eBook format.
Le Chant Vers la Maison
Robertson, David A.
Paper Book
One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they've arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash....
Just like grandma
Rogers, Kim
Paper Book
In this lyrical picture book by Kim Rogers (Wichita), with illustrations by Boston Globe-Horn Book Honoree Julie Flett (Cree-Métis), Becca watches her grandma create, play, and dance--and she knows that she wants to be just like Grandma. Becca loves spending time with Grandma...
Powwow day
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
River is recovering from illness and can't dance at the powwow this year. Will she ever dance again? A heartwarming and hopeful contemporary Native American picture book for ages 4-8-year-olds about traditions, community, music, and healing, written and illustrated by Indigenous...
Also available in streaming video format.
Little you
Van Camp, Richard.
Paper Book
"You are life and breath adored. You are us and so much more..." Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of the hugely successful Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender...
Beautiful you, beautiful me
Spillett-Sumner, Tasha
Paper Book
A child who looks different from her mother finds beauty and belonging in this new book from the creator of the New York Timesbestseller I Sang You Down from the Stars Izzy's favorite place to be is in Mama's arms--skin to skin, safe and warm. One night, cuddled up on Mama's lap, Izzy...

Also available in eBook format.

The girl and the wolf
Vermette, Katherena
Paper Book
While picking berries with her mother, a little girl wanders too far into the woods. When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her....
Little you = Gidagaashiinh
Van Camp, Richard
Paper Book
"You are life and breath adored. You are us and so much more..." Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of the hugely successful Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender...
Little you = Kîya-k'apisîsisîyân
Van Camp, Richard
Paper Book
★ "Van Camp composes a lyrical ode to a newborn child, which is matched in its loveliness by Flett's exquisite, collage-like images of a young one with his or her parents."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling...
Phoenix gets greater
Wilson-Trudeau, Marty
Paper Book
Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance--ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling different, but his mom and brother are proud of him. With their...
Also available in eBook format.
Tiger Lily and the secret treasure of Neverland
Dimaline, Cherie
Paper Book
Welcome to Neverland--where an unforgettable adventure is about to begin . . . Tiger Lily and her community, the Indigenous people of Neverland, possess a unique ability: they can choose to grow up. But for now, Tiger Lily is enjoying being thirteen, spending time with her...
The ghost collector
Mills, Allison
Paper Book
Ghosts aren't meant to stick around forever... Shelly and her grandmother catch ghosts. In their hair. Just like all the women in their family, they can see souls who haven't transitioned yet; it's their job to help the ghosts along their journey. When Shelly's mom dies suddenly,...
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...
Also available in eBook format.
Elvis, me, and the lemonade stand summer
Gentile, Leslie
Paper Book
Winner of the 2021 City of Victoria Children's Book Prize Winner of the 2022 Jean Little First-Novel Award It's the summer of 1978 and most people think Elvis Presley has been dead for a year. But not eleven-year-old Truly Bateman - because she...
Also available in eBook format.
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...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.
Rabbit chase
LaPense?e, 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 ...
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...
Also available in eBook format.
We love you as much as the fox loves its tail
Kelly, Masiana
Paper Book
"We'll love you as much as the narwhal loves its tusk. We'll love you as much as the seal loves its musk. Little One, our new baby, Welcome to our family." This loving bedtime poem shares all the ways in which a family will welcome their long-awaited new member....
Sky Wolf's call : the gift of Indigenous knowledge
Yellowhorn, Eldon
Paper Book
From healing to astronomy to our connection to the natural world, the lessons from Indigenous knowledge inform our learning and practices today. How do knowledge systems get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples...
Also available in eAudiobook format.

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