Native American Heritage - Children's Nonfiction

Informational books for children about Native Americans, present and past.

Updated October 31, 2023
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Sharing our truths : tapwe
Beaver, Henry
Paper Book
Henry and Eileen Beaver and their family live in Fort Smith, on the Slave River between Lake Athabaska and Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. They have a mixed indigenous heritage of Nehiyaw or Cree and Dene Dedline or Chipewyan. Join the authors as they lead the children and...
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....
Maria Tallchief
Day, Christine
Paper Book
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Maria Tallchief! A 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Honor Book!...
Fatty legs : a true story
Jordan, Christy.
Paper Book
Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential...
Go show the world : a celebration of Indigenous heroes
Kinew, Wab
Paper Book
Celebrating the stories of Indigenous people throughout time, Wab Kinew has created a powerful rap song, the lyrics of which are the basis for the text in this beautiful picture book, illustrated by the acclaimed Joe Morse. Including figures such as Crazy Horse, Net-no-kwa, former NASA astronaut...
Sitting Bull : Lakota warrior and defender of his people
Nelson, S. D.
Paper Book
Sitting Bull (c. 1831-1890) was one of the greatest Lakota/Sioux warriors and chiefs who ever lived. From Sitting Bull's childhood - killing his first buffalo at age 10 - to being named war chief to leading his people against the U.S. Army, Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People...
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. ...
Indigenous Peoples' Day
Phillips, Katrina M.
Paper Book
Indigenous Peoples' Day is about celebrating! The second Monday in October is a day to honor Native American people, their histories, and cultures. People mark the day with food, dancing, and songs. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all...
The water walker
Robertson, Joanne
Paper Book
The story of a determined Ojibwe Grandmother (Nokomis) Josephine-ba Mandamin and her great love for Nibi (water). Nokomis walks to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men, and youth, have walked around all...
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...
We are still here! : Native American truths everyone should know
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
Twelve Native American kids present historical and contemporary laws, policies, struggles, and victories in Native life, each with a powerful refrain- We are still here! An ideal nonfiction picture book for 7-10-year-old future activists and changemakers! An inspiring read by...
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...
Turtle Island : the story of North America's first people
Yellowhorn, Eldon
Paper Book
Unlike most books that chronicle the history of Native peoples beginning with the arrival of Europeans in 1492, this book goes back to the Ice Age to give young readers a glimpse of what life was like pre-contact. The title, Turtle Island, refers to a Native myth that explains how North and Central...

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