Multicultural Children's Books

Evaluates hundreds of children's and young adult books on the Native American experience, culture, and traditions.

How do you help young children learn more about Native Americans than the cultural stereotypes found in children's books and in the media? Lessons from Turtle Island is the first complete guide to exploring Native American issues with children. The authors--one Native, one white, both educators--show ways to incorporate authentic learning experiences about Native Americans into your curriculum. This book is organized around five cross-cultural themes--Children, Home, Families, Community, and the Environment. The authors present activities, from children's books they recommend, to develop skills in reading and writing, science, math, make-believe, art, and more. The book provides helpful guidelines and resource lists for selecting appropriate toys, children's books, music, and art, and also includes a family heritage project.

ages 7-13

ages 3-7

ages 4-8

ages 6 and up

Grades 3-5

ages 2-5

Spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism. Going beyond the story of America as a country "discovered" by a few brave men in the "New World," Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity. The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history.

Native American poet Simon Ortiz traces the progress of Native Americans from the time of creation to the present. ages 7 and up

Grades 5-9

Grade 7-12

Winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award