Ancestor Approved. Stories by various Native authors set loosely around a powwow gathering. Gr 4-7.
Th3 Brav5 by James Bird. Alternate title The Brave. Collin is sent by his despairing father to live with his mother on an Ojibwe reservation. He finds he likes it there, especially when he meets a kindred soul in Orenda. It becomes a time for growth, loss, and becoming one of the brave. Gr 5+.
The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird. This story is also about a young teen sent to a reservation as a last resort, only with very different characters and for very different reasons. After being caught stealing one too many times, Benjamin Waterfalls is sent to a "boot camp" at the Ojibwe reservation where he searches for answers as he tries to turn his life around and embrace this second chance. Gr 5+.
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac. After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue. Gr 4-8.
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac. Verse novel set during the COVID-19 pandemic, about a Wabanaki girl's quarantine on her grandparents' reservation and the local dog that becomes her best friend. Gr 3-7.
Geronimo by Joseph Bruchac. While imprisoned in an Oklahoma jail, the Native hero, Geronimo, meets a young Apache man who tells him of his own struggles for freedom, in a touching tale about Geronimo's incredible life and his last memorable days on Earth. Gr 7+.
Found by Joseph Bruchac. Novella about an Abernaki teenage survival expert who finds all his skills tested as he's pursued through the Canadian wilderness by men determined to silence him after he witnesses a murder. Gr 7+.
The Powwow Thief by Joseph Bruchac. Twins Jamie and Marie Longbow are excited about spending the summer with their grandparents, traveling from powwow to powwow selling goods they helped make. But when their grandmother's necklace goes missing, it's up to the twins to solve the mystery. Good picture book for older readers. Gr 2-4.
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day. All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. When she discovers a box of papers and photos of a Native woman bearing a striking resemblance to herself, she is torn between curiosity and hurt that her parents have kept secrets. Gr 3-6.
The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich. The story follows the life of Omakayas and her Ojibwe community beginning in 1847 near present-day Lake Superior. Rich and detailed cultural background based on extensive family research by best-selling author Erdrich. Gr 4-6.
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManus. When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home. Based on author’s family history. Gr 4-7.
Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith. A feminist retelling of Peter Pan twists the story on its head, with Princess Tiger Lily becoming Wendy’s stepsister Lily. Gr 3-7.
Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Together with Grampa, Ray Halfmoon, a Seminole-Cherokee boy, finds creative and amusing solutions to life's challenges, in a collection of interrelated, heartwarming stories. Gr 2-5.
How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle. A tale of the Trail of Tears. A Choctaw boy tells of his tribe's removal from its homeland, and how the exodus led him to become a ghost — one able to help those left behind. Gr 4-7.