10 Native American Stories for Children That Your Child Must Read
Native American refers to a different group of people from the United States.
The Native American stories include culture-rich tales, stories with humor, and some tales with serious heritage.
Some stories narrate the life of a person who has lived in the past or is living in the present, with real value to society.
Here is a list of such Native American books which talk about American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native culture and heritage for kids.
1. Between the Earth and Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Genre: Fiction, Legends, and Myths
Age Level: 6-9
The author, Bruchac has narrated the 11 legends of Native American sacred places in a conversation between a little turtle and his uncle.
Here, he uses the poetic style of narrating the places, enhancing the images of prose poems.
2. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes
Author: James Bruchac, Joseph Bruchac
Genre: Fiction, Myths and Legends, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Age Level: 3-6
This animated language story explains how a chipmunk got its stripes in a lovely story of a Bear and a Chipmunk.
The narrators have explained it in an animated style with illustrations that say about a bragging bear and a teasing chipmunk.
3. How the Stars Fell into the Sky - A Navajo Legend
Author: Jerrie Oughton
Genre: Fiction, Myths and Legends, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Age Level: 6-9
The bright illustrations in the book make it easy for the reader to visualize the First woman guiding humans with the "laws of the world".
It shows how she wrote the laws in the sky with her jewels - the stars.
The story becomes interesting when a trickster Coyote, who is tired of the tasks tosses the jewels in the bare sky.
4. Iktomi and the Coyote
Author: Paul Goble
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Age Level: 6-9
This story is about Iktomi, who is a trickster from the Lakota and tricks prairie dogs to become his meal.
When Iktomi meets Coyote, another wily character, begins the humor lesson.
The author has taught the lesson for the day to the readers with his humorous words and beautiful illustrations.
5. Iktomi Loses His Eyes
Author: Paul Goble
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Age Level: 6-9
Iktomi, the trickster from the Lakota, tricks himself into losing his eyes.
The story moves when he tries to trick a mouse and a buffalo to give one of their eyes to him.
He learns his lesson when he realizes that it is not the same to look at the world with their eyes instead of his.
6. Jingle Dancer
Author: Cynthia Smith
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
This story is about Jenna, a young girl who wants to dance in the powwow just like her grandmother.
The story carries the reader into her journey of getting enough jingles for her dress along with the traditions and heritage of Muscogee (Creek).
7. Keepers of the Night - Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Young readers
Author: Joseph Bruchac, Michael J. Caduto
Genre: Nonfiction, Myths and Legends, Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Age Level: 6-9
In Native culture and heritage, the night is one of the crucial parts of the universal balance.
In this story, the authors take the reader to the culture and heritage of Native Americans through the nocturnal lens.
They have tried their best in explaining the cultural activities including legends and myths, campfires, stargazing, puppet shows, and traditional dances in illustrations.
This book helps the reader to time travel with the illustrations and images.
8. Pushing up the Sky -The Seven Native American Plays for Children
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
The author, Bruchac has combined seven traditional stories from different tribes of Native Americans into plays for children.
Every play begins with a brief about the tribe, the characters in the story, props suggestions, and even recommendations for costumes.
These plays include Bruchac's Abenaki to the Cherokee, Zuni, and Tlingit.
These plays are mostly explanatory (Pourquoi ) tales explaining why stars are visible only at nights, and how the mosquitoes came into existence.
9. Shi-shi-etko
Author: Nicola I. Campbell
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Shi-shi-etko is a small girl living with her family in her village. She would be moving to one of Canada's Indian Residential schools in the next four days.
The story explains how she spends these four days in her village cherishing her heritage.
The story explains how she treasures the beauty of nature with her appreciation of the dancing sunlight, shiny rocks, tall grass, tadpoles in the Creek, and her grandfather's paddle song.
The rich illustration complements Campbell's narration in such a poetic way.
It explains the happiness and joy inside the child while admiring nature, though she has to leave her village and parents in great sorrow.
10. Shin-chi's Canoe
Author: Nicola I. Campbell
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
When Shi-Shi-etko and Shinchi, her six-year-old brother reaches the Canadian school, she reminds her brother that they cannot talk to each other and should use only their English names.
Shinchi's life becomes a routine with the church, school, work, and timely skimpy meals.
He finds solace at a river near the school, clutching the cedar canoe which his father gifted him, and waits for the salmon to return to the river.
This indicates that it is almost time for Shinchi to finally return home.
