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Like most Lakota Sioux boys, Slow yearns for the special vision or manly deed that will inspire his permanent, adult name. Encouraged by splendid stories of his father’s bravery, wisdom and leadership, Slow focuses his energy on becoming a warrior. Friends gradually begin to associate his name with careful deliberation. When the moment of his manhood arrives, Slow rides heroically against Crow warriors, earning the name Tatan’ka Iyota’ke (translated, on the final page, as Sitting Bull). — Publishers Weekly

A Boy Called Slow

Joseph Bruchac

Illustrator:

Rocco Baviera

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

A considerable amount of information is packed into this pictorial presentation of the reenactment of the first Thanksgiving, held at Plimoth Plantation museum in October, 2000. Five chapters give background on the Wampanoag people, colonization, Indian diplomacy, the harvest of 1621, and the evolution of the Thanksgiving story. — School Library Journal

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

Catherine O. Grace, Margaret E. Bruchac

Illustrator:

Sisse Brimberg, Cotton Coulson

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction

Product Description: Two Ojibwe sisters set off across the frozen north country to see the Sky Spirits’ midnight dance. It isn’t easy for the younger sister to stay silent, but gradually she begins to treasure the stillness and the wonderful experiences it brings. This powerful story, with its stunning illustrations, captures the chill of a northern night, the warmth of the family circle, and the radiance of a child’s wonder.

SkySisters

Jan Bourdeau Waboose

Illustrator:

Brian Deines

Age Level:

6-9

Igvillu is a small terrier who dreams of being a sled dog, and when she is adopted by an Inuit storyteller and taken to the North to live, she believes her dreams will come trueDog lovers will enjoy this story of dreaming big and just may learn about life in Nunavut, as the story and illustrations contain details that can dispel misconceptions about life in the great Northern reaches of Canada. — School Library Journal

The Littlest Sled Dog

Michael Kusugak

Illustrator:

Vladyana Krykorka

Age Level:

3-6

Product Description: In 1955, Rocky Parsons, the bush pilot, drops off a bunch of Christmas trees in Repulse Bay much to the delight of the kids who have never before seen a tree. What do you do with a bunch of splidly trees, the purposes of which are not immediately apparent? Play baseball, of course! An autobiographical tale from Michael Kusugak’s childhood tells a story of life in the arctic, and shows how easily different cultures can interpret things differently.

Baseball Bats for Christmas

Michael Kusugak

Illustrator:

Vladyana Krykorka

Age Level:

6-9

From one polar bear walking along the edge of a huge ice floe to millions of berries ready for picking, My Arctic 1, 2, 3 takes young readers on a counting tour in the Far North. With the rich Arctic environment as a background, this classic not only provides small children with opportunities to practice their counting skills, it introduces them to the extraordinary animals that make the Far North their home.

My Arctic 1, 2, 3

Michael Kusugak

Illustrator:

Vladyana Krykorka

Age Level:

3-6

When Kataujaq’s mother dies, her grandmother tells her the legend of the northern lights: the souls of the dead are engaged in a lively game of soccer, just as they did when they were living. Watching the northern lights brings comfort to Kataujaq as she thinks of her mother playing soccer in the sky. A beautiful story honoring Inuit traditions and recommended for children struggling with loss.

Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails

Michael Kusugak

Illustrator:

Vladyana Krykorka

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Michael Kusugak weaves a tapestry of tales about ten-year-old Agatha and her accidental heroism in the high Arctic of 1958 based on his childhood memories. Whether she is saving her town from an eerie, black airship flies over Chesterfield Inlet or rescuing a show-off priest who has fallen through the ice, children will be cheering for Agatha throughout her adventures!

Arctic Stories

Michael Kusugak

Illustrator:

Vladyana Krykorka

Age Level:

3-6

Amiqqaq is home with his grandmother when fat flakes begin to fall. She refers to the precipitation as “whale snow,” which occurs when a whale has given itself to the people of their Alaskan village. Soon Amiqqaq’s father comes in to announce the kill, and then takes the boy to see the great beast. Before long, Amiqqaq begins to understand the true spirit of the whale, as members of his community come together to celebrate and prepare its different parts for use. — Booklist

Whale Snow

Debby Dahl Edwardson

Illustrator:

Annie Patterson

Age Level:

6-9

Julie-Ann is a Gwichya Gwich’in from Tsiigehtchic in the Northwest Territories. She is a Canadian Ranger, a mother of twin daughters, a hunter, a trapper, and a student. Julie-Ann shares her family’s story and the story of her land, observing, “The land has a story to tell, if you know how to listen.” A glossary of Gwichya Gwich’in words is provided. (The Land Is Our Storybook)

We Feel Good Out Here

Julie-Ann André, Mindy Willett

Illustrator:

Tessa Macintosh

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction

Normee Ekoomiak is an Inuk artist from Northern Quebec. Michael J. Mazza writes, “This book contains full-color reproductions of Ekoomiak’s paintings and stitched fabric creations. Each piece of visual art is accompanied by an explanatory mini-essay by the artist. Ekoomiak’s vivid art depicts the Inuit people, the natural environment, and the animal life of the Arctic.” Bilingual Inuktitut/English.

Arctic Memories

Normee Ekoomiak

Age Level:

6-9

The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations

Alootook Ipellie, David MacDonald

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: For centuries people of the Arctic built their houses of snow. Today, the Inuit no longer live in igloos but Tookillkee Kiguktak remembers learning how to build one as a child. In crisp black-and-white photographs, Ulli Steltzer documents the beauty and precision of an igloo’s construction — from stacking blocks of snow to cutting a door — in this informative picture book.

Building an Igloo

Ulli Steltzer

Age Level:

6-9

Sitting on his mother’s lap, a young Inuit boy cheerfully gathers his belongings until he, some toys, his puppy, and a blanket are all crowded together in the rocking chair. When his baby sister cries, the boy claims there is no room for her, but Mother proves him wrong, and the threesome settle comfortably in the chair. Soft illustrations depict a cozy scene and a loving family. (The Horn Book)

On Mother’s Lap

Ann Herbert Scott

Illustrator:

Glo Coalson

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

Meet Lydia: A Native Girl from Southeast Alaska

Miranda Belarde-Lewis

Illustrator:

John Harrington

Age Level:

9-12

Product Description: Every summer, the salmon return to spawn in the streams of Kodiak Island, Alaska, and nine-year-old Alex, a native Aleut, comes here to fish with his family as his ancestors did. Bruce McMillan lived with Alex’s family at their fishing camp on Kodiak Island and captures the natural beauty of the Alaskan island and the intense bond of family and tradition.

Salmon Summer

Bruce McMillan

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Meet Yafi, a six-year-old Ethiopian boy who was adopted as a young child. Yafi, his parents, and two sisters remember his early life and his adoption experience by telling stories, revisiting memories, and looking at photographs. Yafi’s Family is the story of love, loss, and a boy’s discovery of how wide and how deep the bonds of family can be.

Yafi’s Family

Linda Pettitt, Sharon Darrow

Illustrator:

Jan Spivey Gilchrest

Age Level:

6-9

It’s Rakhi Day, a Hindu celebration special to brothers and sisters, and Arun wishes he had a little sister. Soon his wish comes true when he finds out that his parents will be adopting Asha, a little girl from India. Waiting for Asha is hard, though, and Arun is impatient. Arun’s patience finally pays off when Asha arrives — just in time to celebrate another Rakhi Day. Beautiful pastel illustrations bring Arun and this uplifting story to life.

Bringing Asha Home

Uma Krishnaswami

Illustrator:

Jamel Akib

Age Level:

6-9

Star of the Week: A Story of Love, Adoption, and Brownies with Sprinkles

Darlene Friedman

Illustrator:

Roger Roth

Age Level:

3-6

When Allison tries on the red kimono her grandmother has sent her, she is suddenly aware that she resembles her favorite doll more than she does her mother and father. When she learns that she is adopted, she becomes angry and withdrawn. Allison’s doll becomes her only solace until she finds a stray cat in the garden and learns the true meaning of adoption and parental love.

Allison

Allen Say

Age Level:

6-9

Product description: Why was I adopted? What was it like where I was born? How did you find me? Children have many questions about adoption. With a perceptive text and dynamic photographs of adopted children and their families, the creators of this book demystify adoption for young children and celebrate the joy that comes with adding to a family.

I’m Adopted!

Shelley Rotner, Sheila M. Kelly

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Nonfiction

Product description: This is the magical story of one baby’s journey from her birth parents in China, who dream of a better life for their daughter, to her adoptive parents on the other side of the world, who dream of the life they can give her. Many friends along the way shepherd the baby as she floats in a basket on a moonlit, winding river into the loving arms of her new parents.

Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale

Karen Henry Clark

Illustrator:

Jill Barton

Age Level:

3-6

This poem, submitted by an anonymous adoptive mother to the Mother Bridge of Love charity in London, tells the story of a birth mother and adoptive mother who never meet but are connected by their love for a little Chinese girl. Exquisite paintings illustrate the many ways in which the two women’s lives, dreams, and hopes are intertwined, as well as the limitless love they each feel for the little girl.