November is Native American Heritage Month. Immerse yourself in their stories of joy and cultural pride through these colorful and inspiring #ownvoices books for every age group.
Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
- Best for ages: 0-2
This beautiful bedtime poem describes the gifts given to a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic. This book is told by a mother speaking to her own little “Kulu,” an Inuktitut term of endearment.
First Laugh – Welcome, Baby by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood, and Jonathan Nelson
- Best for ages: 2-5
The First Laugh Ceremony is a celebration held to welcome a new member of the community. As everyone tries to elicit the joyous sound from Baby, readers are introduced to details about Navajo life.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
- Best for ages: 2-5
Learn about the Native American tradition of making fry bread.
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child
- Best for ages: 3-7
Windy Girl dreams of attending a special powwow where the participants are dogs. In this magical dream, she sees a visiting drum group, traditional dancers, grass dancers and jingle-dress dancers.
Taíno Tales: The Secret of the Hummingbird by Vicky Weber
- Best for ages: 3-7
Alida, the daughter of a Taíno chief, lives in paradise and meets a boy from the opposing tribe. A retelling of the Taíno legend of how the hummingbird came to be, this story brings an ancient culture and a young love to life.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
- Best for ages: 3-7
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.
Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac
- Best for ages: 10-12
Follow the story of twin 11-year-old Mohawk children who must find the path to peace with neighboring tribes.
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
- Best for ages: 10-12
In this Newbery Honor book, a 13-year-old boy struggles to survive on his own in the wilderness of eighteenth-century Maine. Soon he meets Attean, a boy from the Beaver tribe.
Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac
- Best for ages: 13+
After being taught in a boarding school 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.
If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Bansworth
- Best for ages: 13+
Seventh-grader Lewis “Shoe” Blake from the Tuscarora Reservation has a new friend, George Haddonfield, but in 1975 upstate New York, there is a lot of tension and hatred between Native Americans and whites.
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