Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in your school or library! Keep reading to find more book recommendations, to download resources for your classroom—including a teacher’s guide for Together We See, and an activity kit for Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior—and hear from H.E. Edgmon about their middle grade novel The Flicker!
Ari Tison
Ari Tison is a Bribri (Indigenous Costa Rican) American and African descended poet and storyteller. She is the winner of the Pura Belpré Award and Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Adult Literature for her debut novel Saints of the Household and published her second novel Together We See this year.
Together We See by Ari Tison | Ages 14-18
This edge-of-your-seat Indigenous murder-mystery set in Costa Rica from Pura Belpré and Walter Dean Myers Award-winning author of Saints of the Household is perfect for fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Patron Saints of Nothing.
★ “An adrenaline rush-inducing must-read.” —School Library Journal, starred review
★ “A powerful and moving depiction of seeking justice amid mourning.” —Booklist, starred review
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison | Ages 14-18
Saints of the Household is a haunting contemporary YA about an act of violence in a small-town—beautifully told by a debut Indigenous Costa Rican-American writer—that will take your breath away.
★ “In this striking, assured debut exhibiting a measured pace and delicate writing, Tison (Bribri) probes the ties of adolescent brotherhood and ways the effects of violence can stall self-directed growth…Remarkably compelling.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “Tison’s writing is staggering… Structurally and substantively, this book is an elegiac triumph that puts the human heart in the reader’s hands.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
★ “A heartrending, contemporary debut novel.” —School Library Journal
Kevin Maillard
The Ones Who Came Before by Kevin Maillard; illustrated by Sibu T.P. | Ages 4-8
A Native American “city kid” explores the idea of belonging and “who came first” after a surprising encounter with a country bear, from the award-winning author of Fry Bread.
★ “A powerful and thoughtful exploration of relationships and belonging.” –School Library Journal
★”A dynamic portrait of the natural world’s long history.” –Publishers Weekly
And They Walk On by Kevin Maillard; illustrated by Rafael López | Ages 4-8
A boy says farewell to a loved one as he imagines her walking on into her next journey, a moving and superbly illustrated story about loss and hope.
★”Stunning and essential.” –Kirkus
★”An emotionally centered picture book about the Indigenous concept of “walking on.” –Publishers Weekly
★”This book has universal appeal for anyone coping with a loss.” –Booklist
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal | Ages 4-8
Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.
★SIX STARRED REVIEWS★
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
An American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner
H.E. Edgmon
The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon | Ages 8-12
Perfect for fans of The Marrow Thieves, Hatchet and The City of Ember, H.E. Edgmon’s middle grade debut offers a bittersweet tale of hope and survival, a modern classic for the climate change generation.
★ “Edgmon’s middle grade debut is a dystopian, anti-capitalist, Indigenous, gender nonconforming love letter to tweens.” —School Library Journal
★ “Incisive worldbuilding surrounding the climate collapse makes this middle grade debut a simultaneously cautionary tale and dystopian adventure in which Edgmon showcases the unflagging power of community in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.” —Publishers Weekly
Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson
Eagle Drums by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson | Ages 8-12
A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.
A Newbery Honor Book
★ “Eagle Drums marks the impressive debut of a gifted writer. Rainey gives readers an engrossing, exciting look into Iñupiaq culture while offering invaluable lessons about the power of community, kinship and celebrations.” —BookPage
★ “Iñupiaq author and illustrator Hopson enhances the story with full-page color illustrations that visually connect readers with Piŋa’s journey and emphasize the importance of connections to nature, spiritual beings, and human relatives.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “An authentic, beautiful Alaska Native tale presented as a novel perfect for upper elementary students.” —School Library Journal
Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Ages 14-18
An instant New York Times bestseller, Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.
★ Four Starred Reviews ★
Printz Medal Winner
William C. Morris Medal Winner
Walter Award Winner
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley | Ages 14-18
From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.
★ Seven Starred Reviews ★
A Printz Honor Book
An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley | Ages 14-18
From Angeline Boulley, the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter, comes Warrior Girl Unearthed, a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.
★ Six Starred Reviews ★
American Indian in Youth Literature Award Honor Book
Carole Lindstrom
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Bridget George | Ages 4-8
From New York Times bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes a must-read companion to the powerful, award-winning picture book We Are Water Protectors. Telling the story of real-life water protectors, Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior celebrates Autumn Peltier and her great-aunt Josephine Mandamin, two Indigenous Rights Activists inspiring a tidal wave of change.
★ “A brilliant combination of story, culture, and activism in the cause of protecting the environment.” —School Library Journal
★ “[A] call-to-action picture book biography celebrating the legacies of Indigenous Rights Activists Josephine Henrietta Mandamin and Autumn Peltier. The text ripples with the refrain “Speak for the water. Sing for the water. Dance for the water,” while soothing shades of blue, curving lines and woodland floral designs reflect the Anishinaabe’s delicate connection with nature.” —BCCB
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Michaela Goade | Ages 4-8
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors, issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—inviting young readers everywhere to join the fight.
★ Four Starred Reviews ★
Caldecott Medal Winner
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner
Kirkus Prize Finalist
James Bird
Wolf Club by James Bird | Ages 9-12
The Breakfast Club meets Hatchet in this middle-grade novel about three kids who ditch detention to search for an elusive white wolf, who may have the magical powers they need to face their challenges and heal their hearts.
★ “A shining addition to the middle-school canon of survivor stories, Wolf Club needs to be shared and savored.” —Booklist
★ “Bird ratchets up the tension of this enjoyable action-packed offering—part survival expedition, part identity exploration—one swiftly moving chapter and increasingly perilous scenario at a time.” —Publishers Weekly
No Place Like Home by James Bird | Ages 10-14
An unhoused boy and his family search for stability in this middle-grade novel praised as “big-hearted” and “emotionally resonant.”
★ “Highly recommended for middle school and public libraries, especially those seeking to add works from contemporary Native voices.”—School Library Journal
★ “Author Bird crafts this deeply felt ode to familial love with authoritative prose.” —Publishers Weekly
★ “James Bird, who has been homeless and is of Ojibwe descent, writes with rare authority, insight, and compassion that invites deep empathy from readers. He has done a beautiful job of creating an unforgettable family, who, as Inde says, “may be broke, but we’re not broken.” —Booklist
