Books by Indigenous Authors
These are some great books by North American Indigenous authors, from classics like The Birchbark House to new finds like Sisters of the Neversea. Make sure to check out a few of these books!
Historical Fiction
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Nineteenth-century
American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by
Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books. With The Birchbark House,
award-winning author Louise Erdrich's first novel for young readers,
this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited,
7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her
first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit
Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless
woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior's
Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We
follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons
in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak
of smallpox overtook the island.
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
Regina Petit's family
has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all
ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch
may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government
signs a bill into law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina
becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she was given a number
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though
she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though
her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
With no good
jobs available in Oregon, Regina's father signs the family up for the
Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a
whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids
of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time
in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism,
personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father
believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like
white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil
Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and
land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At
least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel
drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal
history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is
she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?
Realistic Fiction
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
All her life, Edie has
known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how
curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure
her family doesn’t have any answers.
Until the day when she and
her friends discover a box hidden in the attic—a box full of letters
signed “Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her.
Suddenly,
Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her
name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about?
But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how
can she trust them to tell her the truth now?
Dear Miss Karana by Eric Elliott
While reading Island of
the Blue Dolphins at school and learning about the real woman stranded
on San Nicolás Island, ten-year-old Tíshmal begins writing emails to
''Miss Karana'' in hopes of talking to her spirit. When she arrived on
the mainland of Southern California, Miss Karana spoke a language that
no one could understand even back then, and all that remains is a
recording of the song she sang when she was found on the island. Tíshmal
realizes that some of the words sound very similar to Chamtéela
(Luiseño), the language spoken on her reservation. As she writes to Miss
Karana, Tíshmal becomes more and more resolved to understand the lone
woman's song.
The only person able to help her is a grouchy
great uncle, Wéh Powéeya (''two tongues''), the last living person
fluent in the language of their ancestors from the belly button of the
ocean: the islands including San Nicolás. Together, Tíshmal and Wéh
Powéeya must discover what the lone woman said long ago in order to help
her spirit finish the journey West.
Developed in accordance
with fourth grade Common Core State Standards, Dear Miss Karana tells a
compelling story of family, determination, and cultural perseverance.
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III
Jimmy McClean is a
Lakota boy—though you would not guess it by his name: his father is a
white man and his mother is Lakota. When he embarks on a journey with
his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, he learns more and more about his
Lakota heritage—in particular, the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most
important figures in Lakota history. Drawing inspiration from the oral
stories of the Lakota tradition and the Lakota cultural mechanism of the
“hero story,” Joseph Marshall provides readers with an insider’s
perspective on the life of Tasunke Witko, better known as Crazy Horse.
Through his grandfather’s tales about the famous warrior, Jimmy learns
more about his Lakota heritage and, ultimately, himself.
Fantasy
Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Lately, seventh grader
Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the
fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out
he's Mr. Charles, her dad's new boss at the oil and gas company, and
he's alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo
heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he's a
threat, but her father won't believe her.
When Dad disappears the
next day, leaving behind a message that says "Run!", the siblings and
Nizhoni's best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can
only be accomplished with the help of Diné Holy People, all disguised
as quirky characters. Their aid will come at a price: the kids must pass
a series of trials in which it seems like nature itself is out to kill
them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the House of the Sun, they
will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr.
Charles has unleashed. But it will take more than weapons for Nizhoni
to become the hero she was destined to be . . .
Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In this modern take of the popular classic Peter Pan,
award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek) brilliantly
shifts the focus from the boy who won’t grow up to Native American Lily
and English Wendy—stepsisters who must face both dangers and wonders to
find their way back to the family they love.
Stepsisters Lily
and Wendy embark on a high-flying journey of magic, adventure, and
courage—to a fairy-tale island known as Neverland.
Lily and Wendy
have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their
feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of
their family—and their friendship?
Little do they know that a
mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their
window. A boy who intends to take them away from home for good, to an
island of wild animals, Merfolk, Fairies, and kidnapped children.
A boy who calls himself Peter Pan.
How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle
Told in the words of
Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, HOW I
BECAME A GHOST is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of
tragedy. From the book's opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book
written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no
normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a
tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable
five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and
Isaac s talking dog, Jumper. The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A
GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.
Other
Ancestor Approved, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
A collection of
intersecting stories set at a powwow that bursts with hope, joy,
resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride.
In a
high school gym full of color and song, Native families from Nations
within the borders of the U.S. and Canada dance, sell beadwork and
books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. They are the heroes of
their own stories.
Featured contributors: Joseph Bruchac, Art
Coulson, Christine Day, Eric Gansworth, Dawn Quigley, Carole Lindstrom,
Rebecca Roanhorse, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Kim Rogers,
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Monique Gray Smith, Traci Sorell, Tim Tingle,
Erika T. Wurth, and Brian Young.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people's water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
Summaries and covers from Goodreads.com.
Comments
Post a Comment