Board Books | Elementary | Middle School | High School

This list is by Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL). AICL provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society. Visit the AICL website and subscribe to the AICL blog for many more recommendations, critical reviews, and current news.  We also encourage you to read Tips for Teachers: Developing Instructional Materials about American Indians.

Most of the books on these lists are linked for more information or purchase to Powells, an independent, union labor bookstore. Titles with reviews on this site are noted with an asterisk(*).

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Board Books

Kiss By Kiss/Ocètôwina: A Counting Book For Families*

By Richard Van Camp

Little You

By Richard Van Camp, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Loving Me

By Debby Slier

My Heart Fills with Happiness*

By Monique Gray Smith

Nibi is Water *

By Joanne Robertson

We Sang You Home*

By Richard Van Camp, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns

By Richard Van Camp

Wilgyigyet: Learn the Colors in Sm'algyax

Haayk Foundation, Huk Yuunsk (Illustrator)

Ajijaak - Crane*

By Cecilia Rose LaPointe

At the Mountain's Base

By Traci Sorell, Weshoyot Alvitre (Illustrator)

Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock*

By Dallas Hunt, Amanda Strong (Illustrator)

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story

By Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story

By S. D. Nelson

 

Buffalo Song

By Joseph Bruchac, Bill Farnsworth

Chukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache: A Trickster Tale

By Greg Rodgers

 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom

By Tim Tingle, Jeanne Rorex Bridges (Illustrator)

A Day with Yayah

By Nicola I. Campbell, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Dragonfly Kites*

By Tomson Highway, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Fall in Line, Holden!*

Written and Illustrated By Daniel W. Vandever

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story*

Kevin Noble Maillard, Juana Martinez Neal

Good Luck Cat

By Joy Harjo

 

The Good Rainbow Road: A Native American Tale in Keres and English

By Simon J. Ortiz, Michael Lacapa (Illustrator)

 

Hungry Johnny

By Cheryl Kay Minnema, Wesley Ballinger (Illustrator)

I Am Not a Number*

By Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer

Jingle Dancer

By Cynthia L Smith

 

Indian Shoes

By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Jim Madsen (Illustrator)

Muskrat Will Be Swimming

By Cheryl Savageau, Robert Hynes (Illustrator)

Nimoshom and His Bus

By Penny M. Thomas, Karen Hibbard (Illustrator)

nipehon / I Wait*

By Caitlin Nicholson, Leona Morin-Nelson (Translator)

The People Shall Continue

By Simon Ortiz

 

The Range Eternal *

By Louise Erdrich,  Lou Fancher, (Illustrator), and Steve Johnson (Illustrator)

Rock & Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story

By Sebastian Robertson, Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)

 

Saltypie a Choctaw Journey from Darkness Into Light

By Tim Tingle, Karen Clarkson

 

Shin-Chi's Canoe

By Nicola I. Campbell, Kim Lafave (Illustrator)

Shi-Shi-Etko

By Nicola I. Campbell, Kim Lafave (Illustrator)

 

Skysisters

By Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Brian Deines (Illustrator) 

Sweetest Kulu

By Celina Kalluk, Alexandria Neonakis (Illustrator)

Tasunka: A Lakota Horse Legend

By Donald F. Montileaux, Agnes Gay (Translator)

 

Thanks to the Animals

By Allen Sockabasin, Rebekah Raye (Illustrator)

This Land Is My Land*

By George Littlechild

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky

By Timothy P. McLaughlin (Editor), S. D. Nelson (Illustrator), Joseph Marshall (Foreword by)

The Water Walker*

By Joanne Robertson

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga*

By Traci Sorell, Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

We Are Water Protectors

By Carole Lindstrom, Michaela Goade (Illustrator)

When The Rain Sings Poems By Young Native Americans

By Lee Francis

When I Was Eight*

By Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

When The Shadbush Blooms

By Carla Messinger

When We Were Alone

By David Alexander Robertson, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock

By Aslan Tudor, Kelly Tudor

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People*

By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Debbie Reese

Apple in the Middle*

By Dawn Quigley

As Long as the Rivers Flow

By Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden, Heather D. Holmlund (Illustrator)

The Birchbark House

By Louise Erdrich

Hidden Roots

By Joseph Bruchac

How I Became a Ghost, Book 1: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story

By Tim Tingle

 

If I Ever Get Out of Here: A Novel with Paintings

By Eric L. Gansworth

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse*

By Joseph Marshall III

Indian No More*

By Charlene Willing McManis, Traci Sorell

Makoons

By Louise Erdrich

Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story  *

By Andrea L. Rogers

My Name Is Not Easy*

By Debby Dahl Edwardson

 

My Name is Seepeetza

By Shirley Sterling

 

A Name Earned (Pathfinders)

By Tim Tingle

Native Writers: Voices of Power

By Kim Sigafus, Lyle Ernst

 

No Name

By Tim Tingle

 

Rain Is Not My Indian Name

By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Lori Earley (Illustrator)

The Sea in Winter

By Christine Day

Sees Behind Trees

By Michael Dorris

 

Son Who Returns

By Gary Robinson

Spotted Tail *

By David Heska Wanbli Weiden

This Place: 150 Years Retold

By Alicia Elliott (Foreword by), Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (Contribution by), Sonny Assu (Contribution by)

Three Feathers

By Richard Van Camp, K. Mateus (Illustrator)

 

Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection

By Matt Dembicki (Editor)

Triple Threat

By Jacqueline Guest

Under the Mesquite

By Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky

By Timothy P. McLaughlin (Editor), S. D. Nelson (Illustrator), Joseph Marshall (Foreword by)

Who Will Tell My Brother

By Marlene Carvell

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People*

By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Debbie Reese

Apple (Skin to the Core) *

By Eric Gansworth

Blue Horses Rush in

By Luci Tapahonso

Code Talker Stories

By Laura Tohe 

Crazy Horse's Girlfriend

By Erika T. Wurth

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices

By Lisa Charleyboy, Mary Beth Leatherdale (Editor)

 

Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich

By Annie Boochever and Roy Peratrovich Jr

Give Me Some Truth

By Eric Gansworth

Hearts Unbroken*

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

House of Purple Cedar

By Tim Tingle

 

How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America

Edited by Sara Sinclair

Killer of Enemies

By Joseph Bruchac

The Lesser Blessed

By Richard Van Camp

The Marrow Thieves*

By Richard Van Camp

Mean Spirit

By Linda Hogan

Men On The Moon

By Simon J Ortiz

 

Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today

By Lori Marie Carlson

The Moon of Letting Go: And Other Stories

By Richard Van Camp

 

The Night Wanderer: A Graphic Novel

By Drew Hayden Taylor

Night Flying Woman: An Ojibway Narrative

By Ignatia Broker

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women*

 Edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Rethinking Columbus

By Bill Bigelow (Editor), Bob Peterson (Editor)

Robopocalypse

By Daniel H. Wilson

The Round House

By Louise Erdrich

 

Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy

By C. Richard King (Editor), Charles Fruehling Springwood (Editor), Vine Deloria Jr (Foreword by)

Waterlily

By Ella Cara Deloria, Susan Gardner (Introduction by), Raymond J. Demallie (Afterword by)

 

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