List
Indigenous and Native American Books: Grades 3-5
These are some of our favorite books to share with kids in grades 3-5 that feature Indigenous and Native American people, stories, and information . We focused on Indigenous authors and illustrators.
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The American Indian Movement
2024 by Bruegl, HeatherGet this itemPart of the Racial Justice in America series, this book was written by a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and brings attention to issues Indigenous communities have faced and continue to face.
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We Still Belong
2023 by Day, ChristineGet this itemBy the author of I Can Make This Promise comes this story about 12-year-old Wesley, who moves with her mother into her grandfather's house in an Indigenous community outside Seattle and struggles with fitting in and finding community.
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The Other Side of Perfect
2024 by Florence, MelanieGet this itemTold in dual perspectives, Autumn and Cody come from very different families but are brought together when Cody leaves his messy and scary life with his father. This thoughtful book explores themes of identity, belonging, and community.
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The Case of the Pilfered Pin
2024 by Hutchinson, MichaelGet this itemIn another great installment in the Mighty Muskrats Mystery series, the cousins must find a stolen pin to help determine the land reserve boundaries and clear Grandpa of any wrongdoing.
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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge
2023 by Havrelock, DeidreGet this itemOur lives would be unrecognizable without the hundreds of discoveries and inventions chronicled in this book. From kayaks to birchbark scrolls to fishhooks to whoopee cushions to sustainable practices, people from different times in history and different tribes made big contributions to the way we live today.
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The Star That Always Stays
2022 by Johnson, Anna RoseGet this itemWhen 14-year-old Norvia moves from an island to the city in 1914, she not only has to deal with with a new school, a first crush, and a blended family, but she also is asked to keep her parents' divorce and her Ojibwe heritage a secret.
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Reservation Life Today
2024 by Kristofic, JimGet this itemThis DK Super Reader covers the history and current life and culture on different Indigenous reservations. Great for kids in grades 3-4 who are working on their reading skills.
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She Holds Up the Stars
2022 by Laronde, SandraGet this itemTwelve-year-old Misko is drawn to the reservation where her mother disappeared when Misko was four. She connects with a horse who is being cruelly broken in by a rancher and his son in this beautiful coming-of-age story.
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Race to the Sun
2020 by Roanhorse, RebeccaGet this itemPart of the Rick Riordan Presents series, this adventure story features a 7th grader who is able to detect monsters. When her dad disappears, she, her brother, and her best friend must try to rescue him against all odds.
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Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story
2020 by Rogers, Andrea L.Get this itemThis historical fiction book is based on a time when colonizers forced Indigenous people out of their Georgia homes in the 1800s, resulting in what became known as the Trail of Tears. Part of the Girls Survive series, this book centers around Mary, a 12-year-old girl, and her family.
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Weird Rules to Follow
2022 by Spencer, KimGet this itemIn the 1980s in a coastal fishing town, 10-year-old Mia struggles with the way people treat her differently from her best friend, who is Mexican-Hungarian and lives in a big house down the street from Mia's shabby war-time house filled with her large, extended family.
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On a Wing and a Tear
2024 by Smith, Cynthia LeitichGet this itemThis book combines a zany road trip adventure with social media wannabe influencers, a date-crashing dog, and even Tall Man (Big Foot)! When Mel and Ray are approached by Grandfather Bat (who won the famous baseball match between Animals and Birds), they must help him get to the next big rematch. They have adventures on the way, and their Native American culture lovingly shapes this feel-good story.
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Trickster: Native American Tales
2021Get this itemThis 10th anniversary edition of the nonfiction graphic novel features contributions by a wide variety of Native American storytellers and artists.
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Healer of the Water Monster
2021 by Young, BrianGet this itemWhen 11-year-old Nathan visits his grandmother on the Navajo reservation, he finds a water monster from the Navajo Creation Story in need of help, and must help heal the creature.
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