Native American Books for Teens and Young Adults
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, here are some fantastic titles for teens and young adults, all written by Indigenous and First Nations authors.
(Created October 2022)
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Firekeeper's Daughter
After witnessing her best friend's murder, Daunis agrees to use her Ojibwe knowledge of plants and medicine to help the FBI find the maker and dealer of the meth that is killing members of her tribe.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Marrow Thieves
Frenchie and other First Nations people must flee the whites who seek their marrow to help them dream again.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Hunting by Stars
In the sequel to The Marrow Thieves, French has been captured by the recruiters and must decide how much he can reveal of his found family's existence in order to save himself.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
Lou's summer working at her uncle's ice cream parlor is complicated by the fact of her white father's release from prison for assaulting her indigenous mom, her former best friend's return and his similarity to her father, and her uncle's looming business failure.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Apple
The author shares his personal history as an Onondaga man trying to strike a balance between the world outside his tribe, his love of art, and the expectations of his tribe.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Walking in Two Worlds
In the real world, Anishinaabe teen Bugz is facing her brother's cancer diagnosis, her own body image issues, and various troublesome friendships. In the Floraverse, a virtual reality gamespace, she rules against a racist, misogynistic, alt-right group. When a defector from that group tells her he wants to help her, she has to consider the meaning of loyalty.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Red Paint
Sasha taqwšeblu LaPointe tells how she grew up in the Pacific Northwest, living a punk life on the one hand, and trying to honor her great-grandmother's legacy as a keeper of tribal knowledge on the other.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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A Snake Falls to Earth
Lipan Apache girl Nina hones her video skills here on earth, but also learns of a connection to Oli, a cottonmouth snake in the Reflecting World who needs her help to heal his friend.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Barren Grounds
Morgan's life with well-meaning but ignorant white foster parents changes when she meets Eli, whose drawings of strange creatures open a portal for the two and allowing them to travel to Askí, a place known to their Cree ancestors.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask
From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. -- from book jacket
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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