Awarded biennially, the award identifies and honors the best writings and illustrations for youth, by and about Native American and Indigenous peoples of North America. Works selected to receive the award, in picture book, middle grade, and young adult categories, present Native American and Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity in present, past and future contexts.
Picture Book Award Winner
Forever Cousins
By Goodluck, Laurel
In this Native American story, Kara and Amanda are best-friend cousins. Then Kara leaves the city to move back to the Rez. Will their friendship stay the same?Kara and Amanda hate not being together. Then it's time for the family reunion on the Rez. Each girl worries that the other hasn't missed her. But once they reconnect, they realize that they are still forever cousins. This story highlights the ongoing impact of the 1950s Indian Relocation Act on Native families, even today. This tender story about navigating change reminds readers that the power of friendship and family can bridge any distance.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781623542924
|
Hardcover
Picture Book Honor
Rock Your Mocs
By Goodluck, Laurel
In this happy, vibrant tribute to Rock Your Mocs Day, observed yearly on November 15, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and artist Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw) celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins - and the Native pride that comes with them. A perfect book for Native American Heritage Month, and all year round!We're stepping outand kicking it up.Wearing beauty on their feet - as art, as tradition,with style, with pride - kids from different Native Nations knowevery day is a day to ROCK YOUR MOCS! This book contains an author's note with additional information about moccasins and Rock Your Mocs day, for readers curious to learn more about intertribal pride and the joy found in different Native identities! Rock Your Mocs Day has now been extended to a week in November, and during that week, kids from all over the United States join together to show pride in their heritage.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780063099890
|
Hardcover
Berry Song
By Goade, Michaela
Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders.
On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries.
Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry.
Huckleberry, Snowberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.
Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all. Michaela Goade's luminous rendering of water and forest, berries and jams glows with her love of the land and offers an invitation to readers to deepen their own relationship with the earth.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780316494175
|
Book
Remember
By Harjo, Joy
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.Remember the sky you were born under, Know each of the star's stories. Remember the moon, know who she is. Remember the sun's birth at dawn, That is the strongest point of time. So begins the picture book adaptation of the renowned poem that encourages young readers to reflect on family, nature, and their heritage. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780593484845
|
Hardcover
Contenders
By Sorell, Traci
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series, teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other's talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other.However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn't let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780593406472
|
Hardcover
Celebration
By Hope, Lily
"Celebration is almost here! For four days every other June, the streets of Juneau are filled with Native people of all ages dressed in the signature regalia of clans from throughout Southeast Alaska and beyond. There is traditional song and dance. Arts and crafts. Food. And people speaking local Native languages. This is Celebration, a biennial festival of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. In this original story, a young child prepares to attend the event with her family. She has been getting ready for months and can hardly wait to sing, dance, and share."--Dust jacket flap
Publisher: n/a
|
9781946019394
|
Book
Middle Grade Book Winner
We Still Belong
By Day, Christine
A thoughtful and heartfelt middle grade novel by American Indian Youth Literature Honor-winning author Christine Day (Upper Skagit) , about a girl whose hopeful plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day (and plans to ask her crush to the school dance) go all wrong - until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her Indigenous family and community at an intertribal powwow. Wesley is proud of the poem she wrote for Indigenous Peoples' Day - but the reaction from a teacher makes her wonder if expressing herself is important enough. And due to the specific tribal laws of her family's Nation, Wesley is unable to enroll in the Upper Skagit tribe and is left feeling "not Native enough." Through the course of the novel, with the help of her family and friends, she comes to embrace her own place within the Native community.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780063064560
|
Hardcover
Middle Grade Honor Books
Eagle Drums
By Hopson, Nasugraq Rainey
A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping -- the same mountain where his two older brothers died.When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers. What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.Eagle Drums is part cultural folklore, part origin myth about the Messenger's Feast - which is still celebrated in times of bounty among the Iñupiaq.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781250750655
|
Hardcover
Mascot
By Waters, Charles
What if a school's mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue.. In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye's mascot should stay or change. Now six middle-schoolers--all with different backgrounds and beliefs--get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly. . Told from several perspectives, readers see how each student comes to new understandings about identity, tradition, and what it means to stand up for real change.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781623543808
|
Hardcover
Jo Jo Makoons
By Quigley, Dawn
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.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780063015432
|
Hardcover
She Persisted
By Day, Christine
In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Christine Day, readers learn about the amazing life of Maria Tallchief--and how she persisted. Maria Tallchief loved to dance, but was told that she might need to change her Osage name to one that sounded more Russian to make it as a professional ballerina. She refused, and worked hard at dancing her best, becoming America's first prima ballerina. Many famous American ballets were created for Maria!Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Maria Tallchief's footsteps and make a difference!
Publisher: n/a
|
9780593115800
|
Hardcover
She Persisted
By Sorell, Traci
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger comes a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Wilma Mankiller!The descendant of Cherokee ancestors who had been forced to walk the Trail of Tears, Wilma Mankiller experienced her own forced removal from the land she grew up on as a child. As she got older and learned more about the injustices her people had faced, she dedicated her life to instilling pride in Native heritage and reclaiming Native rights. She went on to become the first woman Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation.In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Traci Sorell, readers learn about the amazing life of Wilma Mankiller--and how she persisted.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780593403037
|
Hardcover
She Persisted
By Goodluck, Laurel
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds - including Deb Haaland!As a child of two military parents, Deb Haaland moved around a lot when she was young before finally settling in Albuquerque to be near family. But she persisted, studying hard and eventually earning a law degree. An enrolled member of the Pueblo Laguna nation, Deb was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, where she represented New Mexico's 1st District. In 2021, when the Senate confirmed her as President Biden's secretary of the interior, she became the first Native American in history to become a cabinet secretary. She continues to break barriers and inspire future generations to dream of greater opportunities.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780593620694
|
Hardcover
Young Adult Winner
Rez Ball
By Graves, Byron
This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team - even though he can't help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.But stepping into his brother's shoes as a star player means that Tre can't mess up.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780063160378
|
Hardcover
Young Adult Honor
Warrior Girl Unearthed
By Boulley, Angeline
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.. Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything. . In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781250766588
|
Hardcover
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
By Dimaline, Cherie
After inadvertently starting rumors of a haunted cemetery, a teen befriends a ghost in this brand-new young adult novel exploring Indigenous identity from the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of The Marrow Thieves series.Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother's grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack.Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It's welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father's job being outsourced.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780735265639
|
Hardcover
Man Made Monsters
By Rogers, Andrea
Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls. Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade.Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection - from werewolves to vampires to zombies - all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety - the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers' imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories - of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more.Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe's homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781646141791
|
Hardcover
Running with Changing Woman
By Martinez, Lorinda
"Samantha is a Navajo girl attending AtsaÌ Mesa Community School on the Navajo Reservation. Her life has seemed pretty average when one day at school her body suddenly changes. As a ÌDineÌ, Samantha must now prepare for the DineÌ womanhood ceremony called the KinaaldaÌ, a ceremony once performed by the Navajo deity, Changing Woman. With her life now filled with more drama than ever before, she's reluctant to participate in the demanding four-day ceremony. With a whirlwind of new adventures and pep talks from those closest to her, Sam's family and her two best friends do their best to help Sam deal with bullies, boys, and her new responsibilities as a DineÌ woman."-- Provided by publisher.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781960830005
|
Book
Heroes of the Water Monster
By Young, Brian
An unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster, which won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award, this novel by Navajo author Brian Young tells the story of two contemporary young Navajo heroes - and one water monster - who must learn to work together to save their present world from the lasting hurts of their people's past. Edward feels ready to move in with his dad's girlfriend and her son, Nathan. He might miss having his dad all to himself, but even if things in their new home are a little awkward, living with Nathan isn't so bad. And Nathan is glad to have found a new guardian for Dew, the young water monster who has been Nathan's responsibility for two years. Now that Nathan is starting to lose his childhood connection to the Holy Beings, Edward will be the one to take over as Dew's next guardian.
Awarded biennially, the award identifies and honors the best writings and illustrations for youth, by and about Native American and Indigenous peoples of North America. Works selected to receive the award, in picture book, middle grade, and young adult categories, present Native American and Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity in present, past and future contexts.
Picture Book Award Winner
Forever Cousins
By Goodluck, Laurel
In this Native American story, Kara and Amanda are best-friend cousins. Then Kara leaves the city to move back to the Rez. Will their friendship stay the same?Kara and Amanda hate not being together. Then it's time for the family reunion on the Rez. Each girl worries that the other hasn't missed her. But once they reconnect, they realize that they are still forever cousins. This story highlights the ongoing impact of the 1950s Indian Relocation Act on Native families, even today. This tender story about navigating change reminds readers that the power of friendship and family can bridge any distance.
Picture Book Honor
Rock Your Mocs
By Goodluck, Laurel
In this happy, vibrant tribute to Rock Your Mocs Day, observed yearly on November 15, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and artist Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw) celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins - and the Native pride that comes with them. A perfect book for Native American Heritage Month, and all year round!We're stepping outand kicking it up.Wearing beauty on their feet - as art, as tradition,with style, with pride - kids from different Native Nations knowevery day is a day to ROCK YOUR MOCS! This book contains an author's note with additional information about moccasins and Rock Your Mocs day, for readers curious to learn more about intertribal pride and the joy found in different Native identities! Rock Your Mocs Day has now been extended to a week in November, and during that week, kids from all over the United States join together to show pride in their heritage.
Berry Song
By Goade, Michaela
Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders.
On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries.
Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry.
Huckleberry, Snowberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.
Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all. Michaela Goade's luminous rendering of water and forest, berries and jams glows with her love of the land and offers an invitation to readers to deepen their own relationship with the earth.
Remember
By Harjo, Joy
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.Remember the sky you were born under, Know each of the star's stories. Remember the moon, know who she is. Remember the sun's birth at dawn, That is the strongest point of time. So begins the picture book adaptation of the renowned poem that encourages young readers to reflect on family, nature, and their heritage. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected.
Contenders
By Sorell, Traci
The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series, teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other's talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other.However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn't let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them.
Celebration
By Hope, Lily
"Celebration is almost here! For four days every other June, the streets of Juneau are filled with Native people of all ages dressed in the signature regalia of clans from throughout Southeast Alaska and beyond. There is traditional song and dance. Arts and crafts. Food. And people speaking local Native languages. This is Celebration, a biennial festival of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. In this original story, a young child prepares to attend the event with her family. She has been getting ready for months and can hardly wait to sing, dance, and share."--Dust jacket flap
Middle Grade Book Winner
We Still Belong
By Day, Christine
A thoughtful and heartfelt middle grade novel by American Indian Youth Literature Honor-winning author Christine Day (Upper Skagit) , about a girl whose hopeful plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day (and plans to ask her crush to the school dance) go all wrong - until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her Indigenous family and community at an intertribal powwow. Wesley is proud of the poem she wrote for Indigenous Peoples' Day - but the reaction from a teacher makes her wonder if expressing herself is important enough. And due to the specific tribal laws of her family's Nation, Wesley is unable to enroll in the Upper Skagit tribe and is left feeling "not Native enough." Through the course of the novel, with the help of her family and friends, she comes to embrace her own place within the Native community.
Middle Grade Honor Books
Eagle Drums
By Hopson, Nasugraq Rainey
A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping -- the same mountain where his two older brothers died.When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers. What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.Eagle Drums is part cultural folklore, part origin myth about the Messenger's Feast - which is still celebrated in times of bounty among the Iñupiaq.
Mascot
By Waters, Charles
What if a school's mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue.. In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye's mascot should stay or change. Now six middle-schoolers--all with different backgrounds and beliefs--get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly. . Told from several perspectives, readers see how each student comes to new understandings about identity, tradition, and what it means to stand up for real change.
Jo Jo Makoons
By Quigley, Dawn
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.
She Persisted
By Day, Christine
In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Christine Day, readers learn about the amazing life of Maria Tallchief--and how she persisted. Maria Tallchief loved to dance, but was told that she might need to change her Osage name to one that sounded more Russian to make it as a professional ballerina. She refused, and worked hard at dancing her best, becoming America's first prima ballerina. Many famous American ballets were created for Maria!Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Maria Tallchief's footsteps and make a difference!
She Persisted
By Sorell, Traci
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger comes a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Wilma Mankiller!The descendant of Cherokee ancestors who had been forced to walk the Trail of Tears, Wilma Mankiller experienced her own forced removal from the land she grew up on as a child. As she got older and learned more about the injustices her people had faced, she dedicated her life to instilling pride in Native heritage and reclaiming Native rights. She went on to become the first woman Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation.In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Traci Sorell, readers learn about the amazing life of Wilma Mankiller--and how she persisted.
She Persisted
By Goodluck, Laurel
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds - including Deb Haaland!As a child of two military parents, Deb Haaland moved around a lot when she was young before finally settling in Albuquerque to be near family. But she persisted, studying hard and eventually earning a law degree. An enrolled member of the Pueblo Laguna nation, Deb was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, where she represented New Mexico's 1st District. In 2021, when the Senate confirmed her as President Biden's secretary of the interior, she became the first Native American in history to become a cabinet secretary. She continues to break barriers and inspire future generations to dream of greater opportunities.
Young Adult Winner
Rez Ball
By Graves, Byron
This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team - even though he can't help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.But stepping into his brother's shoes as a star player means that Tre can't mess up.
Young Adult Honor
Warrior Girl Unearthed
By Boulley, Angeline
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.. Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything. . In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
By Dimaline, Cherie
After inadvertently starting rumors of a haunted cemetery, a teen befriends a ghost in this brand-new young adult novel exploring Indigenous identity from the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of The Marrow Thieves series.Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother's grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack.Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It's welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father's job being outsourced.
Man Made Monsters
By Rogers, Andrea
Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls. Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade.Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection - from werewolves to vampires to zombies - all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety - the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers' imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories - of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more.Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe's homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.
Running with Changing Woman
By Martinez, Lorinda
"Samantha is a Navajo girl attending AtsaÌ Mesa Community School on the Navajo Reservation. Her life has seemed pretty average when one day at school her body suddenly changes. As a ÌDineÌ, Samantha must now prepare for the DineÌ womanhood ceremony called the KinaaldaÌ, a ceremony once performed by the Navajo deity, Changing Woman. With her life now filled with more drama than ever before, she's reluctant to participate in the demanding four-day ceremony. With a whirlwind of new adventures and pep talks from those closest to her, Sam's family and her two best friends do their best to help Sam deal with bullies, boys, and her new responsibilities as a DineÌ woman."-- Provided by publisher.
Heroes of the Water Monster
By Young, Brian
An unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster, which won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award, this novel by Navajo author Brian Young tells the story of two contemporary young Navajo heroes - and one water monster - who must learn to work together to save their present world from the lasting hurts of their people's past. Edward feels ready to move in with his dad's girlfriend and her son, Nathan. He might miss having his dad all to himself, but even if things in their new home are a little awkward, living with Nathan isn't so bad. And Nathan is glad to have found a new guardian for Dew, the young water monster who has been Nathan's responsibility for two years. Now that Nathan is starting to lose his childhood connection to the Holy Beings, Edward will be the one to take over as Dew's next guardian.