Books for Native American Heritage Month

By Coll Rowe | October 4 2023 | English Language ArtsSocial StudiesNative American

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, Penguin Random House Education is highlighting the stories of our authors and illustrators who represent the Indigenous Experience. Using #StoriesoftheLand, #NativeAmericanbooks, and #Indigenousreads, join us in putting a spotlight on the rich and diverse stories showcasing the important contributions and experiences of Native people.

Here is a selection of titles that we encourage you to share with your students this month and beyond:

Native American Creators – Secondary

Native American History & Culture

Never Whistle at Night
Never Whistle at Night
An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
978-0-593-46846-3
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.
$17.00 US
Sep 19, 2023
Paperback
416 Pages
Vintage
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
The First Book of Nampeshiweisit
Moniquill Blackgoose
978-0-593-49828-6
A young, indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy after bonding with a hatchling—and quickly finds herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things—in the first book of a brilliant new fantasy series.
$18.00 US
May 09, 2023
Paperback
528 Pages
Del Rey
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee
Native America from 1890 to the Present
David Treuer
978-0-399-57319-4
"Chapter after chapter, it's like one shattered myth after another." - NPRA New York Times bestseller: The sweeping history--and counter-narrative--of Native American life from the Wounded Knee massacre to the present.
$18.00 US
Nov 05, 2019
Paperback
528 Pages
Riverhead Books
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Young Readers Adaptation)
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Young Readers Adaptation)
Life in Native America
David Treuer
978-0-593-20347-7
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee is a story of Native American resilience and reinvention, adapted for young adults from the adult nonfiction book of the same name.
$19.99 US
Oct 18, 2022
Hardcover
288 Pages
Viking Books for Young Readers
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
978-0-8070-4939-6
Spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism.
$18.95 US
Jul 23, 2019
Paperback
280 Pages
Beacon Press
The Things She's Seen
The Things She's Seen
Ambelin Kwaymullina, Ezekiel Kwaymullina
978-1-9848-4953-3
"Utterly captivating. Ghost story, murder mystery, haunting Aboriginal fable--The Things She's Seen checks every spooky box you could want." --Paste Magazine
$11.99 US
Feb 23, 2021
Paperback
208 Pages
Ember
Notable Native People
Notable Native People
50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present
Adrienne Keene, Ciara Sana
978-1-9848-5794-1
An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
$18.99 US
Oct 19, 2021
Hardcover
144 Pages
Ten Speed Press
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