American Indian Titles

Reese review: Set in the 1800s, this story about the friendship between a Choctaw girl and an enslaved African boy dramatically evolves into one about responsibility for others and their well-being. Dramatic acrylic illustrations boldly reflect the time and the peoples at the heart of this compelling tale.

Reese review: Land, culture, and community join two Native brothers as characters in this story about the well-being and survival of a people. These five characters embody significant roles as the brothers set out on a difficult journey to help their people. Lacapa’s exquisite illustrations set the pace as readers ponder the sacred nature of knowledge and spirituality.

Reese review: The experiences of a brother and sister forced by government policy to attend residential schools, the Canadian equivalent of U.S. boarding schools for Native children, are the heart of these two picture books. With their family, the siblings engage in activities that nurture their Native identity, a sharp contrast to the “kill the Indian/save the man” philosophy of the schools. The palette of the first book is warm, conveying the richness of home life. In the second, predominant tones are glaring in quality, reflecting the harsh experience of life at school.

Reese review: Two Ojibway sisters bundle up and head outdoors for a walk on a cold night. They lie in the snow, looking up at the sky, gazing at the SkySpirits, known to others as the Northern Lights. Deines’s palette perfectly captures the northern cold and the warm relationship the girls have with one another and those around them.

Reese review: “When the leaves fly like red and yellow wings, and nuts tumble from the trees, Dad makes the house snug and warm before cold weather.” Lenni Lenape people are at the heart of this story narrated by a young girl. One side shows a family before contact with Europeans, while the facing page presents a contemporary family engaged in the same activity. This format and warm acrylic illustrations beautifully challenge the false notion that Indians vanished.



Middle and Junior High

Reese review: At the heart of this story is Omakayas, an Ojibwe girl. Rich in cultural detail, this is an enthralling story about first contacts between Natives and Europeans. Conflict is presented honestly, yet thoughtfully, without demonizing or dehumanizing the “other.” The first in a series, it was followed by The Game of Silence (2005) and The Porcupine Year (2008). Audio version available from Audio Bookshelf.

Reese review: Through the Relocation Programs of the 1950s, American Indians were moved to major cities in the United States. Finding each other, they created supportive indigenous communities. Through short stories featuring Ray Halfmoon and his grandfather, Smith presents one urban Indian family living in Chicago. The title story is especially heartrending as it reflects the love Ray has for his grandfather.

Reese review: Sterling recounts her brutal experiences in a Canadian residential school. Knowing the events in the book actually happened to the author as a young girl renders them all the more painful.

Reese review: For decades, Native people have protested the use of Native imagery for school mascots. This story, based on the author’s family experience, chronicles teenage Evan’s efforts to rid his school of its mascot. Though his activism is rebuffed and met with taunts, the novel ends on an optimistic note. This timely story, told in free verse, may prove useful in schools currently examining such practices.







High School

Reese review: This collection begins with a preface that grounds readers in Tapahonso’s life as a Diné (Navajo) daughter, mother, and professor whose accent diminishes when she leaves her reservation for the university. Through the stories and poems about change, conflict, death, and birth, the author relates how her heritage sustains her in tangible (mutton) and intangible (spirituality) ways.

Reese review: In the title story, an elderly Acoma man’s questions about the pursuit of knowledge point to the wisdom or lack thereof in society. In one selection set in San Francisco, a Native father comes upon hippies who want to be Indians. An outstanding collection by an accomplished author.

Reese review: Questions from her children about their heritage prompted Broker to write this account of the life of her great-great-grandmother, Oona (Night Flying Woman), who lived in the 1800s. Oona’s people repeatedly moved in an effort to maintain their way of life, but over time they eventually adopted white ways of living. In telling Oona’s story, Broker shares Ojibway beliefs and traditions with readers.

Reese review: This anthology includes Drew Hayden Taylor’s satire “Oh, Just Call Me an Indian” and the hilarious “Needles” by Tehanetorens/Ray Fadden about a porcupine he raises. Also included are retellings of traditional tales and new stories about men who voice anger over beer named “Crazy Horse Malt Liquor” and stories about community. A rich and far-ranging collection.