Jan LaBonty, Ph.D.
The University of Montana
Book List
A- American Indian or Alaska Native author
I- American Indian or Alaska Native illustrator
Aaseng, N. (1992). Navajo Code Talkers: America’s Secret Weapon in World War II. New
York: Walker and Company.
ch. Story of the famous Code Talkers who served in the Pacific during the War and came
up with the unbreakable code
A-Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.
ch. In his first novel for young adults, Alexie chronicles his life growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation, particularly his decision to attend an all-white high school.
A- Ata, T. (1989). Adapted by L. Moroney. Baby Rattlesnake. Ill. by M. Reisberg. San Francisco: Children’s Press.
p.b. A Chickasaw folktale about a baby rattlesnake who learns when to rattle and when to be quiet
Bania, M. (2004). Kumak’s Fish. Portland, OR: Alaska Northwest Books.
p.b. An Inuit folktale about a family who pulls together to catch a chain of fish that are doing the same thing
A- Braine, S. (1995). Drumbeat Heartbeat: A Celebration of Powwow. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner.
p.b. Vividly illustrated with photos of Powwow celebrations all over the country
A-Bruchac, J. (2005). Code talker. New York: Dial
ch. First person fictionalized narrative of the Navajo Code Talkers from WWII.
A- Bruchac, J. (1995). The Earth Under Sky Bear’s Feet. Ill. by T. Locker. New York: Trumpet
p. b. A collection of Native American poems about the land
A- Bruchac, J. (1993). The First Strawberries. Ill. by A. Vojtech. New York: Dial.
p.b. A Cherokee folktale about the origin of the strawberry
A- Bruchac, J. (2004). Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path. Ill. by S. D. Nelson. New York: Lee and Low.
p.b. Biography of the famous athlete
A-Bruchac, J. (2006). Jim Thorpe: Original All-American. New York: Dial.
ch. Fictionalized first person narrative of an Abenaki teenager who fights in the Civil War.
A-Bruchac, J. (2008). March toward the thunder. New York: Dial.
ch. The story of an Abenaki teenager who fights in the Civil War.
A- Bruchac, J. (2000). Sacajawea. San Diego: Harcourt Brace and Jovanovich.
ch. The life of Sacajawea as told by alternating perspectives of both the Shoshone woman and William Clark
A- Bruchac, J. & J. London. (1992). Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back. Ill. by T. Locker.
New York: Trumpet.
p.b. A variety of tribal stories connected to the months of the year
A- Bruchac, J. (2002). The Winter People. New York: Dial.
ch. The Abenaki perspective of the French and Indian War is told as a young boy sets about to bring his captured family back home.
I- Bunting, E. (1995). Cheyenne Again. Ill. by I. Toddy. New York: Clarion.
p.b. Story of one young boy’s experiences at boarding school
A- Carvell, M. (2002). Who Will Tell My Brother? New York: Hyperion.
ch. Story of the struggles of two brothers who want their school to change the mascot- told in free verse poetry
A/I Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes. (2008). Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Tale. Ill. by J. Arlee and S. Sandoval. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
p.b. Coyote steals fire from skyworld for people on earth.
Cooney, C. (2001). The Ransom of Mercy Carter. New York: Delacourt Press.
ch. Based on the true story of a girl who is kidnapped by the Kahnawake tribe in 1704
Cooper, M. (1999). Indian School: Teaching the White Man’s Way. New York: Clarion.
ch. Informational book of boarding schools, illustrated with photography
A- Dennis, Y. W. & A. Hirschfelder. (2003). Children of Native America Today. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
p.b. Photo essay of contemporary lives of American Indian children
Durrant, L. (1996). Echohawk. New York: Clarion.
ch. Story of a young boy kidnapped by the Mohicans in the early 18th century who becomes a member of the tribe
Durrant, L. (1999). Turtle Clan Journey. New York: Clarion.
ch. Sequel to Echohawk, story of the family’s move to the Ohio territory to escape the capture of Echohawk
Ellison, S. P. (1997). The Last Warrior. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing.
ch. Story of a young Apache who surrenders with Geronimo
A/I- Erdrich, L. (2003). Sacagawea. Ill. by J. Buffalohead. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda.
p.b. Story of famous woman guide
Freedman, R. (1987). Indian Chiefs. New York: Holiday House.
ch. Biographies of six famous chiefs, illustrated with photography
I- Freedman, R. (1996). The Life and Death of Crazy Horse. Ill. by A. Bad Heart Bull. New York: Holiday House.
ch. Biography of the famous Teton Sioux warrior
Ford, C. T. (2003). Sacagaawea: Meet an American Legend. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow.
p.b. Biography of famous woman guide
Goble, P. (2003). Mystic Horse. New York: Harper Collins.
p.b. Pawnee legend of a poor boy who nurses a suffering horse back to health
Greene, J. D. (1994). Manabozho’s Gifts: Three Chippewa Tales. Ill. by J. Hewitson. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Traditional Chippewa stories and legends
Hill, A. (1995). The Burnt Stick. Ill. by M. Sofilas. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Informational book about the Australian policy of removing Aboriginal children from their homes if they were of mixed blood
Hobbs, W. (1997). Ghost Canoe. New York: Avon.
ch. Set in the Northwest, a young boy’s adventures with the Makah whaling tribe and his time in a lighthouse
Hoyt-Smith, D. (1997). Buffalo Days. Photos by L. Migdale. New York: Holiday House.
p.b. Story of the Crow Fair and Rodeo in Montana
Hunter, S.H. (1996). The Unbreakable Code. Ill. by J. Miner. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing.
p.b. Navajo grandfather helps his young grandson whose family is moving by telling of his days as a Navajo Code Talker during WWII
Kawano, K. (1990). Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers. Foreward by C. Gorman. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing.
Photo essay of the stories of the original Code Talkers
A- Keams, G. (1995). Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun. Ill. by J. Bernardin. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing.
p.b. Cherokee folktale that explains how Grandmother Spider stole a piece of the sun for the animals and carried it in her pottery
Kerensky, S. (2009). How coyote stole the summer: A Native American Folktale. Ill. by K. Dupre. Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue Editions.
p.b. Coyote steals the summer to help people get rid of year round winter.
McDermott, G. (1993). Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest. San Diego:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
p.b. Northwest folktale of how Raven steals the light for the people
McLerran, A. (1995). The Ghost Dance. Ill. by P. Morin. New York: Clarion.
p.b. Story of the Paiute prophets, Tavibo and Wovoka, who try to bring back the old ways by dances and ceremonies
A- Markoosie. (1970). Harpoon of the Hunter. Ill. by G. Arnaktauyok. London: McGill-Queens University Press.
ch. Inuit stories of life in the Arctic before the arrival of trappers or whalers
Martin, J. B. (2001). The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish. Ill. by B. Krommes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Based on the true story of a Canadian whaler that becomes stuck in the Arctic in 1913 and the Inupiaq who save their lives
Martin, R. (1992). The Rough-Face Girl. Ill. By D. Shannon. New York: Scholastic.
p.b. An Alonguin Cinderella story
Meyer, C. (1992). Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
ch. Story of Cynthia Ann Parker, a young woman who was kidnapped by the Comanche as a young girl and who, with her daughter, 25 years later is rekidnapped by the Texas Rangers
Minnesota Humanities Commission. (1991). Braided Lives: An anthology of multicultural American writing. St. Paul, MN: MCTE.
ch. A collection of short stories and poems by minority people
O’Dell, S. & E. Hall. (1992). Thunder Rolling in the Mountains. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Story of Chief Joseph told through his daughter
Osofsky, A. (1992). Dreamcatcher. Ill. by E. Young. New York: Orchard.
p.b. Objibway legend of the origin of the dreamcatcher
Oughton, J. (1992). How the Stars Fell Into the Sky. Ill. by L. Desimini. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
p.b. Navajo explanation of why our lives are filled with disorder
Oughton, J. (1994). A Tale of the Navajo: The Magic Weaver of Rugs. Ill. by L. Desimini. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
p.b. Navajo tale of Spider Woman, who teaches the Navajo to weave
Philip, N. (2001). The Great Mystery: Myths of Native America. New York: Clarion.
ch. Native American myths retold with archival photographs
Qualey, E. J. (1993). Revolutions of the Heart. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Modern Fiction story of an interracial couple
A/I- Roberts, C. (1998). Powwow Country: People of the Circle. Missoula, MT: Meadowlark Publishing.
p.b. Photostory of modern Powwows
Rodanas, K. (1992). Dragonfly’s Tale. New York: Clarion.
p.b. Zuni folktale of a brother and sister who teach their elders to appreciate the bountiful harvests of corn
A- Rumford, J. (2004). Sequoyah. Translated by Anna Sixkiller Huckaby. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
p.b. Biography of the man who developed the written Cherokee language
Sloat, T., & Huffman, B. (2004). Berry Magic. Ill. by T. Sloat. Portland, OR: Alaska Northwest Books.
p.b. Inuit folktale about the numerous berries used for Aqutak
A-Smith, C. L. (2002). Indian shoes. New York: Harper Collins.
ch. Heart-warming stories about a young Seminole-Cherokee boy being raised by his grandfather in modern-day Chicago.
A- Smith, C. L. (2000). Jingle Dancer. Ill. by C. Van Wright & Y. Hu. New York: Morrow.
p.b. Modern story of a little girl who wants to find enough jingles for her dress for the next Powwow
Stewart, E. J. (1994). The Long Trail Home. New York: Clarion.
ch. Story of the relocation of the Cherokee
A- Strete, C. K. (1995). The World in Grandfather’s Hand. New York: Clarion.
ch. Story of a young boy who has to move from the pueblo to the city
A- Tapahonso, L., & E. Schick. (1995). Navajo ABC: A Dine Alphabet Book. Ill. by E. Schick. New York: Simon & Schuster.
p.b. An ABC book of English and Navajo words from the Navajo culture
A- Terry, M. B. H. (1999). Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village 1868. New York: Clarion.
p.b. Story of daily life illustrated by artwork, photos, and artifacts
Ude, W. (1993). Maybe I will do something: Seven coyote tales. Ill. by A. Rorer. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. Trickster stories of coyote
Van Lan, N. (1995). In a circle long ago. Ill. by L. Desimini. New York, NY: Knopf
ch. A collection of Native American short stories and legends
A- Wallis, V. (1993). Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival. New York: Harper Collins.
ch. Legend of two elderly women who are abandoned by their tribe during a time of famine and how they survive and help those who left them behind
A- Weber, E. N. (2004). Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories from a Native American Childhood. Photographs by R. Renkun. New York: Lee & Low.
ch. Story of a young girl who leaves the Navajo reservation for boarding school
Wise, B. (2007). Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer. New York: Lee and Low.
p.b. Story of a Penobscot Indian man who was a baseball phenomena in the late 1800s.
Wisniewski, D. (1994). The Wave of the Sea Wolf. New York: Clarion.
p.b. Tlingit folktale of ocean waves and the coming of foreigners
Wolfson, E. (retold by). (1993). From the Earth to beyond the sky: Native American Medicine. Ill. by J. Hewitson. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
ch. A collection of stories about healing and healers
A- Wood, T. & Wanbli Numpa Afraid of Hawk. (1992). A Boy Becomes a Man at Wounded Knee. New York: Walker House.
ch. Story of the Big Foot Riders who ride for five years in the 1990’s to honor those who died in the Wounded Knee Masacre in1890
p.b. Picture Book
ch Chapter Book
Native American Poetry
Astrov, M., & Zolbrod, P. (1992). Winged serpent: American Indian prose and poetry.
Blaeser, K. (2002). Absentee Indians and other poems (American Indian studies).
Coke, A. H. (2011). Sing: Poetry from the Indigenous Americans.
Cronyn, G. W, (2008). Native American Poetry.
Evers, L., & Molina, F. S. (1987). Yaqui deer songs?Maso Bwikam: A Native American Poetry.
Francis, L. (1999). When the rain sings: Poems by young Native Americans.
Green, R. (1984). That’s what she said: Contemporary poetry and fiction by Native American women.
Harvey, A. J. (2010). Reservation easy: Native American Poems.
Hirschfelder, A., & Singer, B.R. (1992). Rising Voices: Writings of young Native Americans
Lincoln, K. (1999). Sing with the heart of a bear: Fusions of Native and American poetry.
McLaughlin, T. P., Nelson, S. D., & Marshall, J. III. (2012). Walking on earth and touching the sky: Poetry and prose by Lakota Youth at Red Cloud Indian School.
Niatum, D. (1988). Harper’s Anthology of Twentieth Century Native American poetry.
Roberts, D., & Dowell, L. H. (2012). Grey Wolf speaks: Poetry from the modern Native American perspective (Vol. I).
Smelcer, J. E., & Birchfield, D. L. (1994). Durable breath: Contemporary Native American poetry.
Swann, B. (1996). Native American songs and poems: An anthology.
Warren, R. P. (1982). Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce.
Wilson, N. C. (2000). Nature of Native American poetry.