YA Books by Native American Authors
This post includes ten young adult book recommendations by Native American authors.
November is Native American Heritage Month, and as such, I felt that it was important to highlight Native American authors and stories.
Did you know that in 2023, books written by Native authors made up less than 1% of books published in the US? We are starting to see much more BIPOC representation in books, but Indigenous representation is still extremely low. In children’s literature (which YA is often classified as), books written by Native authors in 2023 came in at 2% (compared to 70% of books by white authors), and books about or that have a main character who is Native also came out at 2%.
With such low representation in literature, I felt that it was important to draw attention some of the fantastic stories written by Indigenous authors. These stories are a doorway into understanding the Native American experience, both past and present. Supporting Native authors is important in order for their voices to continue being heard and in keeping this beautiful culture alive.
Below are ten YA books written by Native authors to check out. At the end of this post, I’ve included a few additional resources, including a link to a t-shirt that helps to support Native authors get their books published!
As important as I think it is to support libraries and independent bookstores, I understand this is not a possibility for everyone. So, I’ve included links to purchase the books mentioned in this post through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which is the best way you can support this blog. Ultimately, please choose the method that works best for you!
**If you or your child have sensitivities or objections to specific types of content, I ask that you do your own research before reading these books. When creating book lists, I purposely choose not to go into detail about character identities/experiences/struggles unless it is important to the plot.
Firekeeper’s Daughter
By Angeline Boulley | Ojibwe
(2021)
Mystery/Thriller. For Daunis (Anishinaabe), being biracial makes her fee like she doesn’t fit in with either of the communities she’s grown up in. She also needs to put her college plans on hold to help care for her sick family member. Thankfully, this gives her time ti play hockey with her half-brother and get to know the cute new boy on her brother’s team. But during this time, Daunis witnesses a murder and must take part in a criminal investigation. There is a dangerous drug floating around her community, and it is causing many unnecessary deaths. Daunis wants to get to the bottom of who is behind this drug, before it makes it way to her family.
The Marrow Thieves (The Marrow Thieves #1)
By Cherie Dimaline |
Métis
(2017)
Dystopian Fiction. Frenchie (Métis) lives in a world where global warming has taken a large toll. Along with this, people have lost the ability to dream, which is causing people to go literally insane. However, the Indigenous people have not lost their dreaming abilities. It is believed that injecting their bone marrow into others will bring dreams back, but it comes at the cost of death to the marrow giver. Frenchie and her companions are living on the run to stay away from the people trying to take their marrow so they don’t have to pay the ultimate price.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
By Jen Ferguson |
Métis
(2022)
Coming of Age/LGBTQ+. Lou (Métis) is spending her summer working in her family’s ice cream shack alongside her recent ex-boyfriend and her long-lost best friend. So, things are pretty awkward. The she finds out her father is getting our of jail, and has sent her a letter. She never wants to see him again, but he starts threatening her family’s business, and Lou must decide if she should take care of this on her own or seek help from her community. On top of this, Lou is trying to figure out her own identity and how she fits into this world. This book deals with a lot of difficult topics, but Lou has the support of her friends to help her find her way.
Rez Ball
By Byron Graves |
Ojibwe
(2023)
Contemporary Fic/Coming of Age. Tre (Ojibwe) is navigating the sudden loss of his older brother while also trying to have a normal teenage life. He hopes to make the school basketball team, and dreams of making it to the NBA someday. But living in the shadow of his older brother, who used to be the star of the basketball team, means Tre doesn’t have any room to make mistakes. If he can help the team make it all the way to state, maybe people will start taking him seriously. And maybe this is a chance to make his brother’s dreams come true as well.
Hearts Unbroken
By Cynthia Leitich Smith |
Muscogee
(2018)
Contemporary Fic/Romance. It is senior year, and when Louise (Muscogee) hears her boyfriend insult Native people while she’s right next to him, she decides it’s time to break things off. She puts her focus into spending time with her family and friends, and reporting for the school newspaper since they have a huge story to cover. The school is putting on a production of The Wizard of Oz, but with a more diverse cast, and Louise’s mostly-white Kansas town is not happy about that. At the center of the controversy is Louise’s younger brother, who is playing the Tin Man. Louise and her partner on the newspaper (and potential new love interest?), Joey, must try to get to the bottom of who is fueling the fire over the production while navigating their own feelings towards each other.
Elatsoe
By Darcie Little Badger |
Lipan Apache
(2020)
Fantasy. Elatsoe (Lipan Apache) is just a normal teenager, except for the fact that she can communicate with ghosts and raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down in her family for generations. She will need these skills as she tries to investigate her cousin’s recent murder, along with trying to destroy an ancient curse on the land. Elatsoe will uncover a lot of dark secrets about her town and community in the process, but if it will help protect her family before someone else dies, it must be done.
Wiijiwaaganag: More Than Brothers
By Peter Razor |
Chippewa
(2023)
Historical Fiction. Niizh (Anishinaabe) is in the first generation of Native children who need to attend a boarding school in the U.S. However, things are not what he expected, and he is often abused by the staff, especially when he speaks his native language and refers to home. Niizh changes schools, the new one slightly better than the other, where he meets a new friend, Roger - the principal’s nephew, who is white. Together, Niizh and Roger go on an adventure like no other when they decide to rescue one of the students at the school who runs away during a winter storm. This time together will teach them more about their shared future in the community than they realize.
Manmade Monsters
By Andrea L. Rogers |
Cherokee
(2022)
Horror/Short Stories. These short stories center around multiple generations of one Cherokee family. Each story takes place in a different time period with a different member of the family. And each family member will come across - or may even be - a monster, wether it be a fictional monster (vampires, zombies, etc.) or real. This chilling anthology of stories is a must-read for any fan of the horror genre.
Surviving the City (Vol. 1)
By Tasha Spillett |
Cree
(2019)
Contemporary Fic/Graphic Novel. Best friends Miikwan (Anishinaabe) and Dez (Inninew) are teens navigating life’s challenges together. Dez finds out that her grandmother, who she lives with, needs to have an operation. But this mean that Dez will no longer be able to live with her, and will be forced to move to a group home. Unable to cope with this news, Dez disappears. Miikwan is worried about Dez, and struggles with her emotions as this situations reminds her of her mother, who has also been missing. Miikwan and her community must find Dez before it’s too late.
Pemmican Wars (A Girl Called Echo #1)
By Katherena Vermette |
Métis
(2017)
Historical Fic/Graphic Novel. Echo (Métis) has moved to a new home and school, and is also currently separated from her mother. Echo has not made any friends, and feels alone. During history class, Echo is suddenly transported back in time to Saskatchewan in the 1800s, during a bison hunt. This continues to happen over the new few weeks, and Echo has the chance to learn about her heritage and what it means to be Métis.
B&N Amazon (commission earned)
A few other notable Native YA authors to check out are are Sherman Alexie (Spokane), Richard Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ (Tlicho)), and Eric Gansworth (Onandaga).
You may have noticed that I included links to purchase a couple of books through HeartDrum. HeartDrum is a division of HarperCollins publishing that specifically focus on publishing books by Indigenous authors. You can find more of these books here.
To learn more about BIPOC representation in literature, or to support efforts for publishing diverse books, please check out the organization We Need Diverse Books. There are tons of resources for librarians, teachers, and parents on their website. They also sell some pretty great apparel and merchandise in their shop, including this Support Native Creators shirt!
I hope you enjoy the books on this list, and please let our community know about any other books by Indigenous authors you’d recommend in the comments down below!