Carole Lindstrom (Author), Aly McKnight (Illustrated by)

Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award Winner

In this beautiful and dramatic story, bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Aly McKnight show readers how life was lived by Indigenous communities, offering the true history of life on the prairie.

Before there was a little house on the prairie, there was a tipi on the prairie.

Rose is a young Métis-Ojibwe girl who has traveled far with her family for the biannual buffalo hunt made up of hundreds of other Métis families. The ritual of the hunt has been practiced for generations, and each hunt must see the community through the next six months. But in recent years, the buffalo population has dwindled, and after days on the hunt, there are no buffalo to be found. Can Rose help her family find the herd that will enable them to survive the long winter?

About the Author

Carole Lindstrom is the author of the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Award-winning We Are Water Protectors. She is Anishinaabe/Métis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently makes her home in Maryland.

Aly McKnight b. 1991 in Reno, NV, is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and is an artist and illustrator, whose art features vibrant colors and Indigenous stories. She spends her days sketching, painting, collaborating with the Indigenous creative community, and adventuring with her family.
www.alymcknight.com
@alymcknight

Carole Lindstrom  (Author), Michaela Goade (Illustrated by)

From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors, issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—inviting young readers everywhere to join the fight.

Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .

When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people’s water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

The fight continues with Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, the must-read companion book to We Are Water Protectors. Written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Bridget George, it tells the story of real-life water protectors, Autumn Peltier and her great-aunt Josephine Mandamin, two Indigenous Rights Activists who have inspired a tidal wave of change.

A Pueblo Indian Tale

Gerald McDermott (Author)

With vibrant colors and bold geometric forms, Gerald McDermott brilliantly captures the stylized look of Pueblo Indian art in this Caldecott Award-winning retelling of an ancient legend. A young boy searches for his father, but before he can claim his heritage he must first prove his worthiness by passing through the four ceremonial chambers: the kiva of lions, the kiva of snakes, the kiva of bees, and the kiva of lightning. Striking in its simplicity and grace, Arrow to the Sun vividly evokes the Native American reverence for the source of all life—the Solar Fire. 

Winner of the Caldecott

Rafe Martin (Author), David Shannon (Illustrated by)

From Algonquin Indian folklore comes a powerful, haunting rendition of Cinderella. 

In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsome. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister's stern, all-knowing gaze.

Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?

The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez

Belen Medina (Author), Natalia Rojas Castro (Illustrated by)

Meet Lorena Ramírez, an Indigenous Rarámuri athlete from Mexico who is internationally known for winning ultramarathons in her traditional skirts and rubber sandals, in this nonfiction picture book.

From the copper canyons of Mexico, her swift footsteps echo. Clip clap, clip clap.

Experience a sixty-mile run with Indigenous athlete Lorena Ramírez. She runs in the traditional clothes of the Rarámuri, “the light-footed people,” to show that her people and their way of life are alive and thriving—outpacing runners in modern, high-tech gear and capturing the world’s attention. Lorena’s career as an athlete is an inspiring real-life example of the power of perseverance that will encourage young readers to follow their own dreams.

Dawn Quigley (Author), Tara Audibert (Illustrated by)

American Indian Youth Literature Award: Middle Grade Honor Book! Hello/Boozhoo—meet Jo Jo Makoons! Full of pride, joy, and plenty of humor, this first book in an all-new chapter book series by Dawn Quigley celebrates a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is.

Jo Jo Makoons Azure is a spirited seven-year-old who moves through the world a little differently than anyone else on her Ojibwe reservation. It always seems like her mom, her kokum (grandma), and her teacher have a lot to learn—about how good Jo Jo is at cleaning up, what makes a good rhyme, and what it means to be friendly.

Even though Jo Jo loves her #1 best friend Mimi (who is a cat), she’s worried that she needs to figure out how to make more friends. Because Fern, her best friend at school, may not want to be friends anymore…

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

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.

Dawn Quigley (Author), Tara Audibert (Illustrated by)

Filled with lots of glitter, raised pinkies, and humorous misunderstandings, this second book in the Jo Jo Makoons series—written by Dawn Quigley and illustrated by Tara Audibert—is filled with the joy of a young Ojibwe girl discovering her very own special shine from the inside out.

First grader Jo Jo Makoons knows how to do a lot of things, like how to play jump rope, how to hide her peas in her milk, and how to be helpful in her classroom.

But there’s one thing Jo Jo doesn’t know how to do: be fancy. She has a lot to learn before her Aunt Annie’s wedding!

Favorite purple unicorn notebook in hand, Jo Jo starts exploring her Ojibwe community to find ways to be fancy.

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

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.

Dawn Quigley (Author), Tara Audibert (Illustrated by)

Oh, snow day, snow day, what a very fun no-school day! Jo Jo Makoons is back in the third book in this favorite chapter book series, and she’s planning the very best version of the winter Olympics that her Ojibwe community has ever seen…

Jo Jo Makoons has noticed that the family members she loves most—Mama, Kokum, and even her cat, Mimi—all have their own ways of being healthy. So when Teacher says that their class will be learning about healthy habits, Jo Jo is ready to be neighborly by helping everyone around her be healthy too.

After a snowstorm shuts down her Ojibwe reservation, Jo Jo uses her big imagination and big personality to help both Elders and classmates alike. Because after all, being healthy means being together!

With her signature heart and hilarity, in this third book in her chapter book series, Jo Jo Makoons shows care for her community as only this vibrant young girl can.

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

The first book in this acclaimed chapter book series was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book; a best book of the year from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, American Indians in Children's Literature, and the Chicago Public Library; a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book; and a Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices selection.

Dawn Quigley (Author), Tara Audibert (Illustrated by)

It is good to follow the rules. But there are just so many! In this fourth book in the beloved Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series, Jo Jo’s talents may not quite include following her substitute teacher’s rules…

Jo Jo and her classmates are excited that the Elders’ Tribal Center has changed the rules for the talent show to invite the whole tribe to perform. But the rules have also changed in Jo Jo’s classroom, where instead of their teacher, they have a substitute. Since Jo Jo has a knack for being helpful, she puts her mind to helping her classmates decide on their talents—but can she manage to follow the substitute teacher’s rules?

Even if no one else quite understands Jo Jo’s own rules (like that saying “please” makes words softer and fluffier to hear and that square foods are too pointy to be yummy), her undeniable talents for celebrating, curiosity, and class keep her happily hop-skipping in step with her Ojibwe community.

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

The first book in this acclaimed chapter book series was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book; a best book of the year from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, American Indians in Children's Literature, and the Chicago Public Library; a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book; and a Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices selection.

Dawn Quigley (Author), Tara Audibert (Illustrated by)

An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honoree

There’s no “brave” without “afraid”! Jo Jo is back to face her fears, in her own special way, in the fifth book in the beloved Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series.

Spunky Ojibwe first-grader Jo Jo Makoons knows a lot about bravery and boldness. Her cat, Mimi, is very brave when she tries new foods, and Teacher is very bold when he wears his ugly ties to school.

When Jo Jo is invited to her very first friend sleepover, it’s her turn to be courageous! Only she’s not quite sure how. Especially when scary puppets and dolls hide around every corner…

Full of spooky fun and after-school mischief, Jo Jo Makoons celebrates an Ojibwe girl with a big heart who finds her courage through the people she loves.

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

The first book in the acclaimed Jo Jo Makoons series was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book; a best book of the year from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, American Indians in Children's Literature, and the Chicago Public Library; a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book; and a Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices selection.

Monique Gray Smith (Author), Danielle Daniel (Illustrated by)

Encourage children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other's well-being in their everyday actions.

Award-winning author and international speaker Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with others. With vibrant illustrations from award-winning author and illustrator Danielle Daniel, this is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.

Sara Hoagland Hunter (Author), Julia Miner (Illustrated by)

John's mother is getting married and he has to leave the reservation.

John's grandfather tells him he has the special unbreakable code to take with him.

This story portrays the quiet pride of a Navajo code talker as he explains to his grandson how the Navajo language, faith and ingenuity helped win World War II.

Full color.

Peter Roop (Author), Bill Farnsworth (Illustrated by)

In this dramatic tale, a Native American boy is angry when his brother is chosen over him to lead the buffalo jump, a prehistoric hunting method.

Katrina M Phillips (Author), Sam Zimmerman (Illustrated by)

With simple, lyrical text and vibrant panoramic illustrations, this picture book explores the beauty and resources of thirteen ancestral Indigenous lands and how we all use those lands each day.

Simple poetry and portrayals of children and families enjoying rivers, bike paths, beaches, and parks show how everyday activities can include honoring Indigenous nations and cultures.

Author Katrina Phillips (Ojibwe citizen) and illustrator Sam Zimmerman (Ojibwe direct descendant) together have crafted a loving tribute that gently demonstrates recognition and acknowledgement of the nations of people who first called these lands home.

Brian Young (Author)

American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner: Best Middle Grade Book! Brian Young’s powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster—and comes to realize he’s a hero at heart.

When 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.

Drew Hayden Taylor (Author), Gabrielle Grimard (Illustrated by), Michael Wyatt (Illustrated by)

Nothing ever happens on the Otter Lake reservation.

But when 16-year-old Tiffany discovers her father is renting out her room, she's deeply upset.

Sure, their guest is polite and keeps to himself, but he's also a little creepy.

Little do Tiffany, her father, or even her astute Granny Ruth suspect the truth.

The mysterious Pierre L'Errant is actually a vampire, returning to his tribal home after centuries spent in Europe.

But Tiffany has other things on her mind: her new boyfriend is acting weird, disputes with her father are escalating, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else.

Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush.

There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything .

.

.

for both of them.

A mesmerizing blend of Gothic thriller and modern coming-of-age novel, The Night Wanderer is unlike any other vampire story.

Traci Sorell (Author), Madelyn Goodnight (Illustrated by)

Now in paperback! In this uplifting, contemporary Native American story, River is recovering from illness and can't dance at the powwow this year. Will she ever dance again?

A heartwarming and hopeful picture book for ages 4-8-year-olds, about traditions, community, and healing.

It's powwow day, and River wants so badly to dance as she does every year. But River can't dance this year as she deals with a serious illness.

In this modern and inspiring Native picture book that's perfect for beginning readers, follow River's journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of community.

Additional information explains the history and functions of powwows, which are commonplace across the United States and Canada and are open to both Native Americans and non-Native visitors. Author Traci Sorell is a member of the Cherokee Nation, and illustrator Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Cynthia Leitich Smith (Author)

In a voice that resonates with insight and humor, New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith tells the story of a teenage girl who must face down her grief and reclaim her place in the world with the help of her intertribal community.

It's been six months since Cassidy Rain Berghoff’s
best friend, Galen, died, and up until now she has succeeded in shutting
herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around Aunt Georgia’s
Indian Camp in their mostly white midwestern community, Rain decides to face
the outside world again, with a new job photographing the campers for her
town’s newspaper.

Soon, Rain has to decide how involved she wants to become in
Indian Camp. Does she want to keep a professional distance from her fellow
Native teens? And, though she is still grieving, will she be able to embrace new
friends and new beginnings?

Buffy Sainte-Marie (Author), Julie Flett (Illustrated by)

A New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2022!

NAMED A BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR: Kirkus Reviews, Globe and Mail, and Chicago Public Library
"A love letter to family, home, and Indigenous traditions... This story reminds readers of the joy we experience upon returning to those whom we love and who love us." --Kirkus STARRED Review

From Cree-Métis artist Julie Flett and Academy Award-winning icon Buffy Sainte-Marie comes a celebration of Indigenous community, and the enduring love we hold for the people and places we are far away from.

Based on Sainte-Marie's song of the same name, Still This Love Goes On combines Flett's breathtaking art with vivid lyrics to craft a stunning portrait of a Cree worldview. At the heart of this picture book is a gentle message about missing our loved ones, and the promise of seeing each other again.

This gem of a picture book features:

• Sheet music of Buffy Sainte-Marie's beloved song

• Notes from Sainte-Marie and Flett about their inspiration for the song and illustrations

Brimming with love for community and the land, Still This Love Goes On is destined to be read and sung for generations.