4 must-read Indigenous books for young readers

Small publishing houses have known for years there's an audience for young people's books by and about Indigenous people.

Chris Hewitt | (TNS) Star Tribune

Small publishing houses have known for years there’s an audience for young people’s books by and about Indigenous people. The Minnesota Historical Society, for example, published “How the Birds Got Their Songs” recently. But, if this spring is any indication, larger publishers are reaching out to that market, too.

Here are four new books that are worth checking out:

Where Wolves Don’t Die, by Anton Treuer, has potential to be a breakout hit. The Ojibwe professor at Bemidji State’s page-turner is a young adult title in the sense that Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” also would be categorized as YA if it were published now. Ezra, the adolescent hero of “Wolves,” lives in Northeast Minneapolis but is whisked across the Canadian border when there’s an arson fire at the home of a classmate/enemy that results in two deaths. Ezra’s not a suspect exactly, but he keeps getting questioned by police so his dad (like Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe) sends him to live in Canada with Ezra’s grandparents. There, he can help his grandpa with chores and study remotely while also remotely pining for his friend-or-is-she-more Nora. Initially, “Wolves” seems like it’s going to be a mystery, but Ezra’s ability to investigate the deaths leaves Minneapolis when he does. At that point, “Wolves” becomes an absorbing primer in the traditions of Ezra’s clan, including how they pay respect to the creatures they kill and, especially, how they interact with wolves, with whom they feel a kinship. Eventually, Ezra learns the surprising truth about what happened in Minneapolis and what might come next for him. (Levine Querido, $18.99)

Being Home, by Traci Sorell and Michaela Goade, could appeal to any kid who’s nervous about moving. The heroine of Sorell’s book is, like the author, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and her notion of home is in flux. She’s moving from an unidentified city to her ancestral home, where she’s eager to reconnect with all her relations. It’s a simple, sweet story and Goade’s Starburst-colored illustrations, in a variety of media, are as joyous as the on-the-move girl is. Goade, a Tlingit Nation woman, is the first Native American illustrator to win the prestigious Caldecott Medal. (Penguin/Random House, $19.99)

A Family Tree, by Staci Lola Drouillard and illustrated by Kate Gardiner, is based on a Drouillard family true story. It’s about a child named Francis who is the same age as a white spruce, named Gaawaandagoonce, planted in their grandmother’s yard. Like “Being Home,” “A Family Tree” incorporates the theme of relocating. When Francis’ grandmother moves from Grand Portage to be with her family, Gaawaandagoonce goes with her. In an author’s note, Drouillard, who lives in Grand Marais and is a Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe direct descendant, writes that “like the little spruce tree, we continue to adapt and change while retaining the wisdom and knowledge of the forest, which was taught to us by our elders, who learned from those who came before them.” (Harper Collins, $19.99)

Loaf the Cat Goes to the Powwow, by Nicholas DeShaw and illustrated by Tara Audibert, is neatly summed up by its title. The St. Paul writer’s picture book is about a stowaway cat that gets to experience a powwow while readers learn about the musicians, grass dancers and storytellers there. DeShaw, who is Anishinaabe and Migiziwan Odoodeman, introduces young readers to some Ojibwe words in a story that could work as a personal connection for Indigenous littles or, for others, as an introduction to a beautiful culture they may know little about. (Penguin, $18.99)

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