Special Collections
NISN Master Book List and Additional Indigenous Literature
Description: NACA Inspired Schools Network Indigenous Literature Master Book List
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Jingle Dancer
by Cynthia Leitich SmithJenna, a contemporary Muscogee (Creek) girl in Oklahoma, wants to honor a family tradition by jingle dancing at the next powwow. But where will she find enough jingles for her dress?
The Iroquois
by Stefanie TakacsWhat life was like for the Iroquois tribe hundreds of year ago - their daily life, housing and food, through the arrival of the Europeans, up to the Haudenosaunee today.
Insects and Spiders
by Christine Taylor-ButlerSpiders and insects have a lot in common. Both are small animals with many legs, and most people do not like them.
A True Book: Animal Kingdom series introduces young investigative readers to animal species, their habitats, unique abilities as well as an up-close look at the dangers these animals face today and find out how humans can help keep all animal species from disappearing forever. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study.
While these creepy crawlers are similar in many ways, they are actually different kinds of animals. Readers will discover what sets insects and spiders apart and learn how different species are suited for their many habitats around the world. Lexile Measure: 830
Indian Shoes
by Cynthia Leitich SmithThe beloved chapter book by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith about the love and adventures shared by a Cherokee-Seminole boy and his Grampa now has brand-new illustrations! A perfect pick for new readers.What do Indian shoes look like, anyway? Like beautiful beaded moccasins... or hightops with bright orange shoelaces?Ray Halfmoon prefers hightops, but he gladly trades them for a nice pair of moccasins for his grampa. After all, it's Grampa Halfmoon who's always there to help Ray get in and out of scrapes—like the time they teamed up to pet sit for the whole block during a holiday blizzard!Award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith writes with wit and candor about a boy and his grandfather, sharing all their love, joy, and humor.In partnership with We Need Diverse Books
Indian No More
by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci SorellRegina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
If I Ever Get Out of Here
by Eric Gansworth"A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship." -- Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize and Rain is Not My Indian Name.Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white kids being nice to him -- kids like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home -- will he still be his friend? Acclaimed adult author Eric Gansworth makes his YA debut with this wry and powerful novel about friendship, memory, and the joy of rock 'n' roll.
I Can Make This Promise
by Christine DayIn her debut middle grade novel—inspired by her family’s history—Christine Day tells the story of a girl who uncovers her family’s secrets—and finds her own Native American identity. All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn’t have any answers. Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic—a box full of letters signed “Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her. Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about? But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how can she trust them to tell her the truth now?
How We Became Human
by Joy HarjoOver a quarter-century's work from the 2003 winner of the Arrell Gibson Award for Lifetime Achievement. This collection gathers poems from throughout Joy Harjo's twenty-eight-year career, beginning in 1973 in the age marked by the takeover at Wounded Knee and the rejuvenation of indigenous cultures in the world through poetry and music. How We Became Human explores its title question in poems of sustaining grace. To view text with line endings as poet intended, please set font size to the smallest size on your device.
How I Became A Ghost
by Tim Tingle and Steven WalkerA Choctaw boy tells the story of his tribe's removal from the only land his people had ever known, and how their journey to Oklahoma led him to become a ghost--one with the ability to help those he left behind.
Ho'onani: Hula Warrior
by Heather GaleAn empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school.Ho'onani feels in-between. She doesn't see herself as wahine (girl) OR kane (boy). She's happy to be in the middle. But not everyone sees it that way.When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it. But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe? Ho'onani has to try . . .Based on a true story, Ho'onani: Hula Warrior is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and an empowering story of a girl who learns to lead and learns to accept who she really is--and in doing so, gains the respect of all those around her. Ho'onani's story first appeared in the documentary A Place in the Middle by filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson.
Hija del guardián del fuego
by Angeline BoulleyUna premiada y aclamada novela sobre el racismo que pronto llegará a Netflix.Uno de los mejores libros juveniles de todos los tiempos según el New York Times. Como miembro extraoficial de su tribu nativa americana, chica birracial y producto de un escándalo, Daunis Fontaine nunca encajó del todo. Sueña con dejar su pasado atrás, empezar de cero y estudiar medicina, pero una tragedia la fuerza a cuidar de su frágil madre en la reserva ojibwe y poner su futuro en espera. Lo único positivo es conocer a Jamie, pero siente que es un chico que oculta algo... Un día presencia un asesinato que la sitúa en el centro de una investigación criminal. Una droga letal amenaza su comunidad y Daunis confía en que sus conocimientos de química y medicina tradicional le ayuden a dar con el responsable. Pero la búsqueda de la verdad es cruel: Daunis deberá aprender qué significa ser una mujer ojibwe fuerte y hasta dónde es capaz de arriesgar para proteger a su gente. Best seller #1 del New York Times Mejor libro YA de Amazon en 2021 Premios Printz y Morris 2021 de la American Library Association Angeline Boulley, miembro de la tribu Sault Ste. Marie de indios chippewa, es una narradora que escribe sobre su comunidad ojibwe en Míchigan. Ha trabajado como directora de la Oficina de Educación India, en el Departamento de Educación de Estados Unidos, para mejorar la escolarización de los niños indígenas.
Heroes of the Water Monster
by Brian YoungAn unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster, which won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award, this novel by Navajo author Brian Young tells the story of two contemporary young Navajo heroes—and one water monster—who must learn to work together to save their present world from the lasting hurts of their people’s past. Edward feels ready to move in with his dad’s girlfriend and her son, Nathan. He might miss having his dad all to himself, but even if things in their new home are a little awkward, living with Nathan isn’t so bad. And Nathan is glad to have found a new guardian for Dew, the young water monster who has been Nathan's responsibility for two years. Now that Nathan is starting to lose his childhood connection to the Holy Beings, Edward will be the one to take over as Dew’s next guardian.But Edward has a lot to learn about taking care of a water monster. And fast. Because Dew’s big sister, the powerful Yitoo Bii’aanii, is coming up to Fourth World to instruct Dew after recovering in the Third World for one hundred and sixty years. She suspects a monstrous and enormous Enemy from the Hero Twins stories has returned and is stealing water from all of the Navajo Nation.In their search for the Modern Enemy, Nathan, Edward, Dew, and Yitoo must confront their past and their inner selves if they are to save the Fourth World from a devastating disaster.A riveting, emotionally affecting adventure!
Hearts Unbroken
by Cynthia Leitich SmithWhen Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?
Healer of the Water Monster
by Brian YoungWhen Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him.
One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster—in need of help.
Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain.
The Heartdrum imprint centers a wide range of intertribal voices, visions, and stories while welcoming all young readers, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes. In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
Gregory, The Terrible Eater
by Mitchell SharmatA very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tin cans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
The great Race of the Birds and Animals
by Paul GobleA retelling of the Cheyenne and Sioux myth about the Great Race, a contest called by the Creator to settle the question of whether man or buffalo should have supremacy and thus become the guardians of Creation.
The Great Ball Game
by Rebecca SheirA classic folktale with roots in the traditional stories of many Indigenous peoples in North America, The Great Ball Game is adapted for today's kids by Rebecca Sheir, host of the award-winning Circle Round podcast. The stunning art of Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, an Ojibwe woodland artist, along with creative activities, make this an engaging picture book that also fosters storytelling and promotes the values of diversity, acceptance, and understanding of others.
The Great Ball Game
by Joseph Bruchac and Susan RothNIMAC-sourced textbook
Bat, who has both wings and teeth, plays an important part in a game between the Birds and the Animals to decide which group is better.
Lexile Measure: 520L
Grandmother's Dreamcatcher
by Stacey Schuett and Becky MccainWhile Kimmy's parents look for a house close to Daddy's job, Kimmy stays with her grandmother and learns how to make a dreamcatcher.
Go Show the World
by Wab Kinew"We are a people who matter." Inspired by President Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing, Go Show the World is a tribute to historic and modern-day Indigenous heroes, featuring important figures such as Tecumseh, Sacagawea and former NASA astronaut John Herrington.Celebrating the stories of Indigenous people throughout time, Wab Kinew has created a powerful rap song, the lyrics of which are the basis for the text in this beautiful picture book, illustrated by the acclaimed Joe Morse. Including figures such as Crazy Horse, Net-no-kwa, former NASA astronaut John Herrington and Canadian NHL goalie Carey Price, Go Show the World showcases a diverse group of Indigenous people in the US and Canada, both the more well known and the not- so-widely recognized. Individually, their stories, though briefly touched on, are inspiring; collectively, they empower the reader with this message: "We are people who matter, yes, it's true; now let's show the world what people who matter can do."
The Good Rainbow Road
by Simon J. OrtizAn account of two boys who are sent by their people to the west to visit the Shiwana, the spirits of rain and snow, and bring back rain to relieve a drought.
Good Luck Cat
by Joy HarjoSome cats are good luck. You pet them and good things happen. Woogie is one of those cats. But as Woogie gets into one mishap after another, everyone starts to worry. Can a good luck cat's good luck run out?
The Goat In The Rug
by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link and Nancy Winslow ParkerGeraldine is a goat, and Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug. First Geraldine is clipped. Then her wool is spun into fine, strong yarn. Finally, Glenmae weaves the wool on her loom. They reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride involved in the weaving of a Navajo rug -- and about cooperation between friends.
Fry Bread
by Kevin Noble MaillardWinner of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book MedalA 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner“A wonderful and sweet book . . . Lovely stuff.” —The New York Times Book Review Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry bread is food.It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.Fry bread is time.It brings families together for meals and new memories.Fry bread is nation.It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.Fry bread is us.It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.A 2020 Charlotte Huck Recommended BookA Publishers Weekly Best Picture Book of 2019A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019A School Library Journal Best Picture Book of 2019A Booklist 2019 Editor's ChoiceA Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of 2019A Goodreads Choice Award 2019 SemifinalistA Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2019A National Public Radio (NPR) Best Book of 2019An NCTE Notable Poetry BookA 2020 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young PeopleA 2020 ALA Notable Children's BookA 2020 ILA Notable Book for a Global Society 2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year ListOne of NPR's 100 Favorite Books for Young ReadersNominee, Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award 2022-2022Nominee, Illinois Monarch Award 2022
From Tadpole to Frog
by Kathleen Weidner ZoehfeldHow DOES a tadpole become a frog?Watch a tiny tadpole grow into an adult frog in this book full of facts and photographs. Learn what tadpoles eat, how they survive, and how they transform into frogs.