mskelly Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Planning for next year and I will have a 6th grader and a 4th grader. I'm looking for a nice combination of picture books, independent reading, and read alouds on Native Americans. Historical fiction, collection of folktales, even nonfiction...all ok! So far I have Sign of the Beaver and an assortment of titles by Bruchac. What else should I add to the list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 I strongly suggest you take a look at the reviews posted at American Indians in Children's Literature. You may not agree with all her reviews - lots of people don't - but they're certainly helpful. (For reference, she has a very strong opinion on Sign of the Beaver.) At this point, I've come to the conclusion that when reading books about Native Americans, I should follow the same rules I use when reading books about disability and be extremely cautious when the author does not have that disability or a very close relationship with another person who does (teaching disabled kids doesn't count). Or, for the NA version, I am wary about books written by non-Natives, especially when they were written a long time ago. It's not that they can't be good, it's just that often they're full of stereotypes in lieu of accurate research. (And, when it comes to folktales, many books avering that they're "a Native American legend" are anything but. They're just made up out of whole cloth.) With that said, I do recommend The Birchbark House. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
featherhead Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Indian Captive is a good read aloud or reader for that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Island of the Blue Dolphins Weaving a California Tradition (yes it's a picture book but it's more of a photo essay--authentic) http://www.amazon.com/Weaving-California-Tradition-American-Basketmaker/dp/0822526603?ie=UTF8&keywords=weaving%20an%20american%20tradition&qid=1461988466&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 Calico Captive Ishii, Last of His Tribe If you want a brief intro to the way that fearful pioneers viewed Native Americans, "The Matchlock Gun" is short, well-written, and reflective of that POV. Personally, although I don't think that view should dominate anymore, it has to be introduced to some extent or a lot of period literature and history are impossible to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) Nm. It was a bass suggestion. Edited April 30, 2016 by theelfqueen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FawnsFunnyFarm Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) If you can get your hands on a copy of the Childcraft Indian Book, it is fabulous!!! ETA: it's cheap right now on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Indian-Annual-Supplement-Childcraft---Library/dp/B000W7M0OU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462025855&sr=8-2&keywords=childcraft+indian+book Edited April 30, 2016 by FawnsFunnyFarm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 http://www.native-languages.org/children-books.htm Here is an excellent book list. In addition to general things, I would look for local resources about indigenous people in your area, historically and today. Archaeological sites, tribal museums, etc. can help ground what they learn and literally bring it home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 Morning Girl by Michael Dorris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) Indigenous History of The USA The Timucua Indians Small Wolf Vostaas North American Indians Native American Dwelling Coloring Book Encounter Discovery Of The Americas ...20,000 Year History of American Indians (very much an adult book.) Food, Farming and Hunting (Am. Ind. Contributions) Chumash Courage Pomo Indians and Their Neighbors Easy To Make Teepee Village ...Pueblo Village Indian Paper Dolls The Mud Pony Thirteen Moons On Turtle's Back The Legend of The Indian Paintbrush The Legend of the Bluebonnet Raven The Rough-Face Girl Knots On A Counting Rope Brother Earth, Sister Sky The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses Edited April 30, 2016 by OKBud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) The Birchbark House Julie of the Wolves Red Bird Sings Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 Encounter by Jane Yolen Edited April 30, 2016 by MrsWeasley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curlymom Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 We are enjoying Children of the Longhouse right now. You may already have it as it is written by Bruchac. We also enjoyed the Brown Paper School Book of the American Indians. It is a mix of folk tales, activities, and history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Thank you for the suggestions! There are several titles here that were new to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 http://www.native-languages.org/children-books.htm Here is an excellent book list. In addition to general things, I would look for local resources about indigenous people in your area, historically and today. Archaeological sites, tribal museums, etc. can help ground what they learn and literally bring it home. Thanks for the link. We did our state history this year and studied (in great depth) the tribes of our state. It is fun when you can link the history to your backyard! Next year, we are studying US history so I want to include an overview of some of the US tribes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aelgraham Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Hollings' "The Book of Indians" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketcase Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter I second Ishii. Compelling and true and part of what made me study linguistics. Include some more recent poets? Here's a list of Native American writers, many are poets. I would add Naomi Shihab Nye to the list. http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/20-native-american-authors-you-need-to-read/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsey Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Thank you sooo much, everyone. I've bookmarked this to come back go. Thanks for asking, OP!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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