Native American Stories

10 Books From and About the First Americans

Honoring Native American History and Culture

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush declared November to be Native American Heritage Month. This commemoration was aimed at providing a platform for Indigenous American communities to share and celebrate their culture and traditions—an essential part of our region's history. It's important for young people to get an unvarnished view of this history, so we are taking the opportunity to highlight ten excellent books for young readers by Native American authors. These volumes offer a range of great reads at various levels, from preschoolers to young adults.

Kid Stuff

It is important to distinguish between the many different tribal cultures and communities represented in the Native American population. Children aren't too young to learn a bit about this cultural diversity.

Buffalo Bird Girl

This lovely, graceful story by award-winning author-illustrator S. D. Nelson presents the true story of Waheenee, a Hidatsa woman born in 1839. She is credited with upholding and documenting the lifestyle and traditions of her people. Recommended for children age six and older.

Chickadee

This middle-grade read is the fourth in bestselling author Louise Erdrich's wonderful Birchbark House Series. It continues the story of one Ojibwe family's experience beginning in the mid-1800s in America. This series is generally good for ages nine and older.

Shi-shi-etko

In this deeply emotional story from Nicola I. Campbell, a young Indigenous Canadian girl is forced to say goodbye to everything she holds dear as she counts down the days until leaving for a government-run residential school. Evocatively illustrated by Kim LaFave. Recommended for ages four and up.

Thanks to the Animals

This beautiful picture book, written by storyteller Allen Sockabasin and illustrated by Rebekah Raye, tells the story of a Passamaquoddy family traveling to their winter home in Maine. Along the way little Zoo Sap falls out of the sled and his cries attract the help of the forest creatures. Great for ages four and up.

Wild Berries

Cree-Metis author-illustrator Julie Flett created this lovely, spare story about Clarence growing up picking wild berries with his grandmother. Flett's collage-style artwork is simply gorgeous. Recommended for preschool and up.

Young Adult Realness

The brutal treatment of Native people as European settlers poured into the Americas can be difficult to read about. These novels for young adults offer thoughtful and sensitive perspectives on this history and its ongoing impacts.

Hearts Unbroken

Bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith offers this contemporary novel about a Native teen growing up in a mostly white Kansas community. Louise Wolf, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, faces down prejudice and hostility as she navigates the muddy waters of high school society.

House of Purple Cedar

"The hour has come to speak of troubled times," begins this first-person account of a Choctaw woman's girlhood in pre-statehood Oklahoma. Author Tim Tingle draws on historic events to spin a gripping tale of mystery and magical realism.

If I Ever Get Out of Here

From Eric Gansworth, comes the story of Lewis "Shoe" Blake, a boy growing up on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Upstate New York in 1975. As the only Native kid in the gifted program at his middle school, he struggles to find his place.

The Marrow Thieves

The earth is dying. Native teen Frenchie and his friends are on the run from "recruiters" trying to capture them to harvest their bone marrow, identified as a substance that helps people recapture the lost ability to dream. This dystopian novel by Cherie Dimaline resonates as an eerie metaphor.

Trickster: Native American Tales

This award-winning graphic collection by Matt Dembicki pairs 24 Native storytellers with graphic artists to present stories of the Trickster, a crafty spirit that inhabits Native mythology. The anthology ranges from funny to dramatic to chilling.

Voices For Grownup Readers

There are plenty of great reads for adults as well, from the prolific Louise Erdrich to newcomer Tommy Orange. If you're curious, we encourage you to check out recommendations from the First Nations Development Institute. There is also a list for young adults and children.

Do you have any recommendations? Let us know in the comments!

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon