Best Native American Books for children and young adults

Rebecca Disrud, literacy programs coordinator for the Golden Eagles program in the Minneapolis American Indian Center, has compiled a list of ten great Native American books for kids and young adults.

When selecting books to share with children of all backgrounds, it is vital to preview selections with a critical eye. Many seemingly warm-hearted books perpetuate subtle racial stereotypes or dominant-culture perspectives on history. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of a book, consult the invaluable reference guide Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children, edited by Beverly Slapin and Doris Seale (American Indian Studies Center), or the website www.oyate.org. Not surprisingly, many of the best Native American kids books are written by Native American authors. The following books are recommended for use with both Native and non-Native children.

Reading List menu


		Grandmother's Pigeon — Louise Erdrich In this beautiful picture book about a modern Native family, a mysterious nest of rare, newly-hatched birds appears in the bedroom of quirky, departed grandmother. When the species of the birds is revealed, the family must try to reconcile the fate of the birds with what grandmother would have wanted. While the vivid pictures of Grandmother's Pigeon will appeal to young children, older kids will also enjoy the subtly complex story.



		The Great Ball Game: a Muskogee Story — Joseph Bruchac Respected Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac has written many books for kids, teens, and adults. This story from the Muskogee, about an epic ballgame played between the birds and the animals, explains how the bat came to be accepted as an animal and why the birds fly south for the winter. An author's note at the beginning explains that stickball, a form of lacrosse, has its origin with Native peoples.



		Nanabosho Steals Fire — Joseph McLellan Joseph McLellan has written several books about the infamous Ojibwa trickster Nanabosho, who often serves as a cautionary tale for kids. In this story, the shape-shifting Nanabosho transforms himself into a rabbit, beguiling a young girl in order to steal away fire from a neighboring community.



		This Land Is My Land — George Littlechild Winner of several prizes including the Jane Addams Picture Book Award, This Land Is My Land is a vibrant collection of very short essays about everything from the four buffalo spirits to the author's visit to New York. Illustrated with amazing and sometimes cryptic multi-media paintings by the author, this book challenges kids to find specific elements in the pictures as they read the texts below them.



		Star Boy — Paul Goble Paul Goble is the author of a number of beautifully illustrated kids books about the histories and beliefs of different Native tribes. In Star Boy, Goble shares his version of how the Sun Dance was given to the Blackfeet people. While the book fails to mention that the Sun Dance is important to many Plains Nations as well as to the Blackfeet, the editors of Through Indian Eyes state that Star Boy would be "a good way to introduce non-Native children to a spiritual concept that is central to the lives of a large number of Native peoples."



		A Promise Is a Promise — Robert Munsch and Michael Kusugak This delightful picture book blends the traditional and the modern of Alaska native life in a girl named Allashua. Disobeying her mother's directions one afternoon, Allushua decides to go fishing in the ocean. Her pride gets her into trouble when she meets the supernatural allupilluit, who threaten to take her into the icy sea with them. The mildly scary parts of this story are nicely balanced by Allushua's loving family, making it a great choice for kids.



		The People Shall Continue — Simon J. Ortiz An epic story in a slim cover, this picture book encompasses the entire history of Native American Peoples, from the time of Creation to the present day. The author, an Acoma, is a poet whose sentences capture the natural rhythms of traditional speech while remaining accessible to kids. The People Shall Continue is a great introduction to the peaceful beginnings of the many Peoples and the subsequent injustices they sustained.



		Cloudwalker: Contemporary Native American Stories — Joel Monture In this collection of funny and sad short stories, Joel Monture addresses the fact that in today's world, Native children must straddle two cultures—the raditional Native American and the modern day. His mainly teen-aged protagonists encounter unique cultural clashes as they navigate their worlds. In one story, Virgil walks a high beam, trying to imitate his father, Cloudwalker. In another, Betty just wants to stay home and watch tv when she encounters her first potlatch.



		Morning Girl — Michael Dorris This young adult book of historical fiction alternates between the perspectives of Morning Girl and her brother Star Boy, who live on a Bahamian island in 1492. A highly engaging and accessible read, Morning Girl emphasizes the centrality of family and community before coming to an unanticipated, chilling end. This book won the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction.



		The Birchbark House — Louise Erdrich Set on an island in Lake Superior in 1847, The Birchbark House is filled with details of traditional Ojibwa life. Though the book is fascinating in its educational explanation of everyday practices, young adult readers will connect emotionally with protagonist Omakayas as she struggles with chores she dislikes, squabbles with her little brother, and admires her perfect older sister. Readers may also consider the inescapability of change as they see the relentless encroachment of the white man on Indian lands.