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A peaceful, tropical world is the setting for this simple yet rich glimpse into the lives of a young sister and brother. Morning Girl and Star Boy grapple with timeless, universal issues such as experiencing simultaneous anger and love toward family members and the quest to discover the true self. Not until the epilogue do readers discover that the story takes place in 1492 and that the strange-looking visitors Morning Girl welcomes to shore are not as harmless as they may appear.

Morning Girl

Michael Dorris

Age Level:

9-12

For young Samuel Russell, the summer of 1777 is a time of fear. The British Army is approaching, and the Indians in the area seem ready to attack. To Stands Straight, a young Abenaki Indian scouting for King George, Americans are dangerous enemies who threaten his family and home. When Stands Straight’s party enters the Quaker Meetinghouse where Samuel worships, the two boys share an encounter that neither will ever forget. Told in alternating viewpoints, this chapter book is based on a true story.

The Arrow Over the Door

Joseph Bruchac

Illustrator:

James Watling

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fiction, Historical Fiction

Product Description: In 1831, ten-year-old Minko Ushi is part of the forced removal of his Choctaw people from their homeland in Mississippi to Indian Territory. Minko’s father decides to travel ahead by foot, taking Minko and his beloved pony, Black Spot, with him. As he walks hundreds of miles across Arkansas Territory through howling snowstorms, Minko learns that his people are much like his stubborn little pony: They may suffer, but their spirit will never be broken.

Longwalker’s Journey: A Novel of The Chocktaw Trail of Tears

Beatrice Harrell

Illustrator:

Tony Meers

Age Level:

9-12

Sheyenne is from a small Dene community in Trout Lake, North West Territories. Readers will learn about diverse activities during harvest time, such as preparing moose meat and the hide, making birch bark containers, gathering plant medicine, singing songs, and telling storiesSheyenne leads an enjoyable journey as she shows readers her community of teachers — her family — while she learns about her language and culture. — CM Magazine(The Land Is Our Storybook)

Come and Learn With Me

Sheyenne Jumbo , Mindy Willett

Illustrator:

Tessa Macintosh

Age Level:

6-9

Join the children of Fond du Lac Head Start as they celebrate the Ojibwe culture through the ancient tradition of the Powwow. This book gives the reader a look at the Powwow from preparation through to the Grand Entry, the dancing, the feast and an invitation to Native and non-Native alike to “see you at the next year’s Powwow.” — Birchbark Books

Niimiwin: Everyone Dance

Leah Savage

Age Level:

3-6

Loyie shares a quiet but powerful first-person account of his last summer before he and his siblings were taken away from their family. Most of the story focuses on what was otherwise a normal seasonal routine for the Cree people of that era, with the family moving from their main cabin to their summer “camp” for a few weeksWhen the children learn that they must go to the residential school or their parents will be imprisoned, and they are physically loaded onto the back of a truck by strangers, the sense of separation and loss is keenly felt. — School Library Journal

As Long as the Rivers Flow

Larry Loyie, Constance Brissenden

Illustrator:

Heather D. Holmlund

Age Level:

9-12

At the age of eight, Margaret Pokiak set her sights on learning to read — even though it meant leaving her Arctic village. Upon her arrival at school, Margaret encountered the Raven, a black-cloaked nun who immediately disliked the plucky girl and frequently humiliated her. In spite of the Raven’s cruelty, however Margaret refused to be intimidated and gave the nun a lesson in the power of human dignity. Complemented by archival photos, this inspiring first-person account of a girl’s determination to confront her tormentor will linger with young readers.

Fatty Legs: A True Story

Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

Illustrator:

Liz Amini-Holmes

Age Level:

9-12

When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation

Tim Tingle

Illustrator:

Stacey Schuett

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fairytales, Folk Tales, and Tall Tales

After teaching, or “coaching,” art in various Navajo communities in Utah for 10 years, Hucko helped put together an exhibition called “Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?” in which Navajo children expressed themselves through graphic arts and words. This book presents 23 full-color reproductions of drawings and paintings from the collection, along with a black-and-white photo of each artist, his or her comments about the picture, Hucko’s introduction to themes found in each piece of art, and ideas for readers to think about or draw. — School Library Journal

A Rainbow at Night: The World in Words and Pictures

Bruce Hucko

Age Level:

6-9

“Let’s go for a walk,” Fran tells her granddaughter, Marissa, “I have a story to tell you.” Here, at a family reunion, Marissa visits the Tlingit community of Kake for the first time, meets her many relatives, and learns some of the stories and traditions of the Eagle and Raven clans. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

A Story to Tell: Traditions of a Tlingit Community

Richard Nichols

Illustrator:

D. Bambi Kraus

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

A beautifully illustrated short work on the life of a family of potters from Santa Clara Pueblo. The book follows Gia Rose as she and her relatives drive to the mountains to dig for clay; prepare it for working; and fashion pieces that are then polished, sanded, and fired. In addition to the many large, full-color photographs, there are maps of the area and of the 19 pueblos in New Mexico. — School Library Journal (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters

Rina Swentzell

Illustrator:

Bill Steen

Age Level:

9-12

For the Wampanoag Indians (the descendants of those who greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620) in Mashpee, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, the clambake is more than just a many-splendored outdoor dinner; it is a traditional ceremony of their people. Twelve-year-old Steven Peters, grandson of the author, learns from Peters the history and traditions of their people, including the creation of a special clambake. — School Library Journal (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition

Russell Peters

Illustrator:

John Madama

Age Level:

9-12

Earth Daughter: Alicia of Acoma Pueblo

George Ancona

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Nonfiction

In this photographic essay, 12-year-old Matthew Dunn takes a trip to Fort Chipewyan in Alberta, Canada, to learn about his Chipewyan, Metis, and Cree heritage. His visit to relatives coincides with the community’s celebration of Treaty Days, commemorating the 1899 agreement that gave the Chipewyans hunting and fishing rights as well as reservation land. Each year the people gather for games, dances, sports, and feasting. — School Library Journal (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Fort Chipewyan Homecoming: A Journey to Native Canada

Morningstar Mercredi

Illustrator:

Darren McNally

Age Level:

9-12

For almost 20 years, author Sally M. Hunter and her Hochunk family have processed corn in the backyard of their city home. The labor intensive tradition has been a curiosity to her neighbors in St. Paul, so this book, writes Hunter, “will solve the mystery of what those Indian neighbors have been doing in the yard all these years.”It carefully explains the importance of the Winnebago food tradition, adding Hochunk words and related stories. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition

Sally M. Hunter

Illustrator:

Joe Allen

Age Level:

9-12

For two or three weeks each spring, an elder named Gahgoonse (Little Porcupine, or “Porky” for short) holds his sugarbush camp by Lake Independence, Minnesota, where he teaches students from the city the serious business of collecting sap, boiling it down, and making maple syrup, candy, and sugar — and, of course, the giving of thanks for providing this most sacred of trees. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Laura Waterman Wittstock

Illustrator:

Dale Kakkak

Age Level:

9-12

In an informal and lively manner, a Lakota grandmother tells about her people, who are part of a larger group frequently referred to as Sioux Indians. The text begins with a brief history of the tribe and then discusses culture and modern life. References to and photographs of various youngsters make the account more personal. — School Library Journal (World’s Children)

Grandchildren of the Lakota

Lavera Rose

Illustrator:

Cheryl Walsh Bellville

Age Level:

9-12

Celinda McKelvey looks like a typical 13-year-old American, and most of the time she lives like one, but her roots are deep in the Navajo nation, and she returns to the reservation to solemnize and celebrate her change from girl to woman. The ceremony, called Kinaaldá, marks the coming-of-age for a Navajo girlRoessel’s text describes Celinda’s preparations and the ceremony itself and relates the ancient myth that gave rise to it. — Booklist (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Kinaaldá: A Navajo Girl Grows Up (We Are Still Here : Native Americans Today)

Monty Roessel

Age Level:

9-12

Focusing on 13-year-old Monte Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation and third-generation lacrosse player, this photo-essay presents an interesting blend of Iroquois Confederacy history and information about a sport that is growing in popularity. Toggling back and forth between the past and the present, Hoyt-Goldsmith establishes the tradition of this fast-paced game and gives readers a sense of how it has changed and the role it plays in the lives of Monte and his family. — School Library Journal

Lacrosse: The National Game of the Iroquois

Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Illustrator:

Lawrence Migdale

Age Level:

9-12

Readers will get to know Christopher, an eleven-year-old Osage boy from northeast Oklahoma. Join Christopher and his family at the annual I’n-lon-shka Dances on the Osage Reservation and meet his grandmother, who works at the Osage tribal museum. Learn the stories of Christopher’s ancestors, those who hunted buffalo and lived in hide-covered lodges — and those who first learned to drive cars and pilot airplanes. (My World: Young Native Americans Today)

Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma

Genevieve Simermeyer

Illustrator:

Katherine Fogden

Age Level:

6-9

Mindy is a Hopi and Tewa girl from the Southwest. Readers will journey with Mindy through her coming-of-age ceremony and will trace the history of the Hopi tribe. John Harrington’s impressive photography brings to life the Arizona landscape and the beautiful katchina dolls carved by Mindy’s father and grandfather. This insightful and instructive book offers a rare glimpse into the contemporary culture of the Hopi tribe, while celebrating Native American life. (My World: Young Native Americans Today)

Meet Mindy: A Native Girl from the Southwest

Susan Secakuku

Illustrator:

John Harrington

Age Level:

9-12

Reviewer Tracy Robert writes, “Photographer and writer Monty Roesseldocumented his ten year old daughter, Jaclyn, as her grandmother taught her to weave. The fifth grader learned about the practical aspects of weaving; like shearing sheep, carding and spinning wool, natural dyes, and weaving techniques. Nali Ruth (Grandmother) also taught Jaclyn about important Navajo stories related to weaving and the significance of each tool.” (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave (We Are Still Here)

Monty Roessel

Age Level:

9-12

Glen Jackson, Jr., is an 11-year-old Ojibwe Indian from the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota. His people are wild rice growers, and the annual harvest has as much spiritual meaning for his people as the raising of corn, beans, and squash does for the Hopi and the Seneca. Glen is taking part in the ritual for the first time and is worried that he won’t be strong enough to push the canoe through the rice beds without tipping over. — School Library Journal (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering

Gordon Regguinti

Illustrator:

Dale Kakkak

Age Level:

9-12

This story chronicles one important day seen through the eyes of a young Hopi girl named Sihumana, or “Flower Maiden”, who is a member of the Rabbit Clan and winningly portrayed as a rabbit. After going with her grandfather to greet the sun and bless the day, Sihumana travels with her family to another village to take part in the traditional Butterfly Dance, performed late each summer in order to bring rain to the dry lands of the Southwest. (Tales of the People)

The Butterfly Dance

Gerald Dawavendewa

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fairytales, Folk Tales, and Tall Tales

Reading 101

In the Classroom

Helping All Readers

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Book Finder

Morning Girl

The Arrow Over the Door

Longwalker’s Journey: A Novel of The Chocktaw Trail of Tears

Come and Learn With Me

Niimiwin: Everyone Dance

As Long as the Rivers Flow

Fatty Legs: A True Story

When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation

A Rainbow at Night: The World in Words and Pictures

A Story to Tell: Traditions of a Tlingit Community

Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters

Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition

Earth Daughter: Alicia of Acoma Pueblo

Fort Chipewyan Homecoming: A Journey to Native Canada

Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition

Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Grandchildren of the Lakota

Kinaaldá: A Navajo Girl Grows Up (We Are Still Here : Native Americans Today)

Lacrosse: The National Game of the Iroquois

Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma

Meet Mindy: A Native Girl from the Southwest

Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave (We Are Still Here)

The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering

The Butterfly Dance

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