Indigenous Peoples

From the award-winning author of On the Trapline comes a cinematic fantasy-adventure story inspired by Indigenous legends.

One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they've arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash. They are thrown overboard and when Lauren surfaces she sees her brother being pulled away by the Memekwesewak — creatures who live in and around water and like to interfere with humans. Lauren must follow the Memekwesewak through a portal and along a watery path to find and bring back James. But when she finally comes upon her brother, she too feels the lure of the Memekwesewak’s song. Something even stronger must pull them back home.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This book is available in French: Le chant vers la maison 

Additional Information
52 pages | 9.00" x 10.25" | Hardcover 

Will and Tom speak in a whisper.
"Uncle, tell us the story of the Windigo."
The boys look behind them for something they can't see.

When Uncle shares the story of the Windigo, the cousins get more than they expect. That night something strange scratches at the frost on their bedroom window. In the morning they find huge tracks in the snow. The Wandering Night Spirit of Winter!

Tom and Will know what good Trackers would do, so they follow the trail deep into the forest. Then a strange cry slices the air.

"Remember," Will whispers as they move forward. "Don't look into its eyes."

Can you be a tracker too? Find the tracks hidden in the pictures.

Reviews
"Gorgeous illustrations and suspenseful writing fully engross the reader and have my kids sitting on the edge of their seats every time. This emotional engagement makes it a perfect read for discussing the concept of bravery, while the story's details provide wonderful cultural education. And as a fun bonus, the endpapers show different animal tracks that you can spot throughout the book - just like good Trackers!"— Read. Learn. Repeat. Blog

"Richly illustrated in mixed media, Waboose weaves a story of respect for nature and family. The boy's insistence of their bravery is countered by their natural fear of the unknown — and the stories they have heard. A great read for a stormy winter night. Beware of the Windigo!"— kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

"Anishinaabe Waboose's prose seamlessly threads her people's legends with her story of a modern First Nations family that is keeping its traditions alive. Award-winning illustrator Thisdale's expressive and detailed illustrations add depth to Waboose's engaging text. His mixed-media paintings successfully blend the traditional and the modern, the comfortably familiar and the uncanny, to support the story's themes. An intergenerational tale that celebrates both a specific tradition and the universal curiosity of children."— Kirkus Starred Review

Educator Information
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being useful for grades K-4 for English Language Arts.

Young readers will be able to improve their tracking skills as they find clues hidden in the illustrations along with Will and Tom.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Paperback

When bright and spirited Norvia moves from the country to the city, she has to live by one new rule: Never let anyone know you’re Ojibwe.

Growing up on Beaver Island, Grand-père told Norvia stories—stories about her ancestor Migizi, about Biboonke-o-nini the Wintermaker, about the Crane Clan and the Reindeer Clan. He sang her songs in the old language, and her grandmothers taught her to make story quilts and maple candy. On the island, Norvia was proud of her Ojibwe heritage.

Things are different in the city. Here, Norvia’s mother forces her to pretend she’s not Native at all—even to Mr. Ward, Ma’s new husband, and to Vernon, Norvia’s irritating new stepbrother. In fact, there are a lot of changes in the city: ten-cent movies, gleaming soda shops, speedy automobiles, ninth grade. It’s dizzying for a girl who grew up on the forested shores of Lake Michigan.

Despite the move, the upheaval, and the looming threat of world war, Norvia and her siblings—all five of them—are determined to make 1914 their best year ever. Norvia is certain that her future—both professionally and socially—depends upon it... and upon her discretion.

But how can she have the best year ever if she has to hide who she truly is?

Sensitive, enthralling, and classic in sensibility (perfect for Anne of Green Gables fans), this tender coming-of-age story about an introspective and brilliant Native American heroine thoughtfully addresses serious issues like assimilation, racism, and divorce, as well as everygirl problems like first crushes, making friends, fitting in, and the joys and pains of a blended family. Often funny, often heartbreaking, The Star That Always Stays is a fresh and vivid story directly inspired by Anna Rose Johnson’s family history.

Reviews
"Inspired by the author’s family history, this gentle novel nimbly and tenderly confronts topics including prejudice, the challenge of blending families, young love, and staying true to oneself."—Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.49" x 8.25" | Paperback

It's a race against time to save Eli, in this third book in the award-winning, Narnia-inspired Indigenous middle-grade fantasy series. 

After discovering a near-lifeless Eli at the base of the Great Tree, Morgan knows she doesn't have much time to save him. And it will mean asking for help — from friends old and new. Racing against the clock, and with Arik and Emily at her side, Morgan sets off to follow the trail away from the Great Tree to find Eli's soul before it's too late. As they journey deep into the northern woods, a place they've been warned never to enter, they face new challenges and life-threatening attacks from strange and horrifying creatures. But a surprise ally comes to their aid, and Morgan finds the strength to focus on what's most important: saving her brother's life. 

Reviews
"Girl power is front and center in the latest Misewa adventure . . . there's a lot of urgencies, a lot of action, a lot of emotion as events include satisfying reunions and heartbreaking loss." —Common Sense Media

"As readers, we were able to learn a lot about Cree culture in a way that's not achievable through textbooks . . . these books would be a great addition to any classroom library." —The Suburban

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 10+

This is Book 3 in the Misewa Saga. Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in this epic middle-grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.

Additional Information
256 pages | 5.50" x 8.19" | Paperback 

Wolf wants to know how Fox catches so many fish. Fox thinks Wolf is trying to play a trick on him. Wolf claims he will catch many more fish than Fox ever could. Can Fox teach Wolf a lesson about being boastful and greedy?

Discover this engaging retelling of an Inuit traditional story, which has been simplified for young readers to enjoy.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 7.

Bilingual: Inuktitut and English

F&P Level: L

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

From National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson, a kaleidoscopic middle-grade adventure that mixes the anxieties, friendships, and wonders of a Cherokee boy's life with Cherokee history and lore.

Ziggy has ANXIETY. Partly this is because of the way his mind works, and how overwhelmed he can get when other people (especially his classmate Alice) are in the room. And partly it's because his mother disappeared when he was very young, making her one of many Native women who've gone mysteriously missing. Ziggy and his sister, Moon, want answers, but nobody around can give them.

Once Ziggy gets it in his head that clues to his mother's disappearance may be found in a nearby cave, there's no stopping him from going there. Along with Moon, Alice, and his best friend, Corso, he sets out on a mind-bending adventure where he'll discover his story is tied to all the stories of the Cherokees that have come before him.

Ziggy might not have any control over the past -- but if he learns the lessons of the storytellers, he might be able to better shape his future and find the friends he needs.

Reviews
"The Storyteller is an all-night adventure between four kids, and it's a journey they will never forget. Hobson's middle-grade debut is thoughtful, moving, and even humorous at times, while also challenging colonial history and bringing awareness to MMIW, Missing Murdered Indigenous Women." - Andrew, Goodreads Review 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Additional Information
224 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

Etua Snowball shares his childhood experience with the unlikeliest of friend—an Arctic wolf pup that he meets at a remote camp where the boy spends his summers.

As the child and the pup become more comfortable with one another, they go hunting, walking, exploring, and catching butterflies together across the tundra. With the end of summer approaching, the young boy knows he must soon return home. Will he gain enough trust from the pup to be able to pet it before he leaves?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Inspired by a true story!

This book is part of the My Wild Arctic Friends series.

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

When a mother and daughter find a polar bear cub alone on the sea ice, the daughter cannot bear to leave it behind. Finding no mother bear in sight, the two adopt the cub and raise it as the girl’s brother.

The cub and the girl become fast friends—even if the cub’s bear sense of smell always means he wins at hide-and-seek! The cub hunts for the community, and they never want for food. But the cub continues to grow, and eventually he is no longer a fuzzy little cub, but a powerful full-grown bear. Some in the community become fearful of the bear, but the girl and her mother love him just the same.

That is, until one day, the bear returns from a hunt with another bear by his side. The mother soon learns that they need to let the cub go, in order for him to live the happy life they want for him.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover

Award-winning author Eddie Chuculate recounts his experience growing up in rural Oklahoma, from boyhood to young manhood, in an evocative and vivid voice.

These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.

"Granny was full-blooded Creek, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs insisted she was fifteen-sixteenths. She showed her card to me. I’d sit at the kitchen table and stare at her when she was eating, wondering how you can be a sixteenth of anything."

Growing up impoverished and shuttled between different households, it seemed life was bound to take a certain path for Eddie Chuculate. Despite the challenges he faced, his upbringing was rich with love and bountiful lessons from his Creek and Cherokee heritage, deep-rooted traditions he embraced even as he learned to live within the culture of white, small-town America that dominated his migratory childhood.

Award-winning author Eddie Chuculate brings his childhood to life with spare, unflinching prose. This book is at once a love letter to his Native American roots and an inspiring and essential message for young readers everywhere, who are coming of age in an era when conversations about acceptance and empathy, love and perspective are more necessary than ever before.

Educator Information
For ages 12+

This book is part of Scholastic Focus, the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers.

Additional Information
240 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover

Tiger Lily and her community, the Indigenous people of Neverland, possess a unique ability: they can choose to grow up. But for now, Tiger Lily is enjoying being thirteen, spending time with her grandmother and exploring alongside her horse and her friends.

Then Tiger Lily uncovers a plot by two of Captain Hook’s pirates, who are searching for a mysterious, powerful treasure. Determined to protect Neverland, Tiger Lily sets out on a very grown-up mission: find the treasure first, and keep it out of the pirates’ reckless hands.

As her journey takes her from Mermaid Lagoon to the Lost Boys’ secret fort and beyond, Tiger Lily will need to become the brave leader she has always wanted to be. Can she save her home and people she loves before it’s too late?

Set in the world of Disney+’s upcoming live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy, this original story from acclaimed author Cherie Dimaline weaves a tale of Tiger Lily as you’ve never seen her before.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes.

Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him in her life.

Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.

This graphic novel by Muscogee-Jewish writer and artist Emily Bowen Cohen is perfect for fans of American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. It is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that centers stories about contemporary Indigenous young people.

Awards

• New York Public Library's Best Books for Kids
• National Jewish Bok Award 

Reviews
"The story is well crafted, with Jewish and Muscogee beliefs integrated to great effect and art that enhances the text. A powerful graphic novel about honoring every part of our identity." — Kirkus Reviews

"In Mia’s struggle to reconcile her ancestries, the creator develops a credible portrayal of self-image and acceptance. Plentiful panels rendered in earth tones further enhance this nuanced portrait of Mia’s search for identity." — Publishers Weekly

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
256 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Team Tuktu and Friends is up to bat! Ukaliq is excited to spend the day with his friends, but he’s nervous about playing Inuktitut baseball. What if he isn’t any good at it? Tiri is fast, Nanuq is strong, and Tuktu has good aim. What if Ukaliq can’t even hit the ball? As the game ramps up and Ukaliq steps up to the plate, will he be able to discover his own unique baseball talent?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 - 5.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Ukaliq Learns to Play Inuktitut Baseball shows children that everyone has their own unique skills.

F&P Level: L

Bilingual: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

Bugz, une adolescente autochtone, se retrouve à cheval entre deux univers : la réalité et le monde virtuel (le « Floraverse »). Dans le monde réel, elle est timide et mal dans sa peau. Elle vit du stress sous différentes formes – anxiété adolescente et vie en réserve obligent. Mais dans le monde virtuel, loin de la « Rez », son alter ego a non seulement pleine confiance en elle-même, mais domine complètement le jeu dans cet univers vidéo multijoueur d’envergure internationale. Bugz rencontre Feng, un jeune dissident expulsé par la Chine et venu vivre avec sa tante médecin sur la réserve. Bugz et Feng s’entendent immédiatement à merveille : deux marginaux et avides joueurs en ligne. Mais la relation est mise à mal lorsque Bugz se voit trahie et que tout ce qu’elle a bâti dans le jeu s’écroule. Il leur faudra à tous deux puiser dans des forces insoupçonnées pour restaurer leur amitié et réconcilier les aspects parallèles de leurs vies : la tradition avec la culture de masse, l’Orient et l’Occident, le réel et le virtuel…

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+.

This book is part of the Le Floraverse series.

This book is available in English: Walking in Two Worlds

Additional Information
Paperback

Un soir, alors que Challa rentre à la maison en larmes après que l'on se soit moqué de son sourire, sa mère lui offre un cadeau spécial. Elle lui donne un miroir particulier, qui lui a été offert par sa propre mère, qui l’a elle-même reçu de sa djo djo, et lui explique que quand on regarde dans le miroir, on voit qui l’on est vraiment. Il n’y a qu’une règle à respecter : tous doivent dire ce qu’ils voient dans le miroir. Le miroir montrera-t-il à Challa combien elle est magnifique?

Cette histoire spéciale de la militante primée Sunshine Tenasco et de l’artiste Chief Lady Bird enseigne aux lecteurs que la vraie beauté vient de l’intérieur.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This book is available in English: Smile So Big

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.75" x 9.77" | Hardcover 

Ukpik, une jeune fille qui habite dans le Grand Nord canadien, est ravie de découvrir l’existence d’objets pratiques qu’un capitaine a apportés avec lui en bateau.Mais bientôt, elle commence à se demander si leur introduction dans son campement est un signe que son mode de vie va changer.Ce magnifique album sur la vie familiale et communautaire, écrit par la musicienne primée Susan Aglukark, charmera les jeunes lecteurs.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3+

This book is available in English: Una Huna? What Is This?