November is National Native American Heritage Month. Here are some great titles for teens highlighting Indigenous experiences and identities.
Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves
Bryce’s summer before junior year isn’t starting off as expected. After his mom goes back to jail, he goes to stay at his grandparents’ house on Wolf Creek reservation. Once there, he is faced with many memories from the past. Bryce begins to reconnect with his old childhood friends, his passion for skateboarding, his family history and his identity.
The Moth Dreamer by Amy Lynn Farrell
Aubrey is horrified when she sees a vision of her cousin’s death, which later comes true. When a dark creature starts stalking her and feeding on her suffering, she turns to Kokum, a medicine woman, to help her find her spiritual strength. But will it be enough to protect Aubrey and family?
Shards of Silence by Brian Lee Young
When Mildred-Derrick receives a scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school, he decides to say yes to the opportunity even if it means leaving his family, friends and life on the Navajo Reservation behind. But at his new school, he faces racism and an overwhelming pressure to succeed. When he decides to work on a term paper about federal Native boarding schools, he starts to reflect on generational trauma and its impact on his family, as well as the ongoing prejudice in his life.
The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs
During her morning run, Avery ends up at a strange pond in the middle of the forest–where she accidentally awakens the black water, a horror that puts her small hometown in danger. Though she has never felt connected to her indigenous culture and its stories, Avery must now turn to her Elders for help finding answers and breaking the black water’s curse. Don’t miss its sequel, The Others, as well.
Here For a Good Time by Kim Spencer
Morgan has felt adrift ever since her mother disappeared from her life when she was 10 years old. When her best friend Skye encourages her to enroll in an alternate school, she meets a cute boy named Nate and begins to learn more about her family’s history with residential schools, helping her learn more about her mother’s past.
Find these books in our catalog: Indigenous Stories for Teens.
~Posted by Siri A.