Cynsations: Celebrating Children’s & Young Adult Literature
Join us in celebrating the fifth anniversary of Heartdrum, an acclaimed imprint featuring stories for children and teens by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Heartfelt, groundbreaking, and unexpected, these beloved books emphasize the present and future of Native peoples and the strength of young Indigenous heroes. Heartdrum has published nearly fifty books for young readers with many more to come. Deepest gratitude to all who support our ongoing journey!
Did you know the first Native American Major General, Clarence Tinker, was a U.S. federal Indian boarding schools survivor? I’ve always been struck by the fact that so many survivors, including my own grandfather, went on to serve during World War II in the U.S. armed forces. In fact my grandfather was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
Now available! UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN: DONADAGOHVI, written by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee), illustrated by Morgan Thompson (Cherokee)(Heartdrum, 2026) Ages 4-up.
TEACHING INDIGENOUS STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION FOR K-12 EDUCATORS by Leilani Sabzalian, Meredith L. McCoy, and Helen Thomas (Routledge, 2026).
Now that it’s officially autumn, let’s break out seasonal books!
FEATURED
A GOOD HIDE, written by Karina Iceberg (Aleut (Unangax^) and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Nations), illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Métis)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up.
RAVEN, RISING by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee), cover art by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw)(Heartdrum, summer 2026). Ages 8-up.
HARVEST HOUSE by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, April 11, 2023). Ages 12-up.
SHARDS OF SILENCE by Brian Young (Navajo), cover art by Lynnette Haozous (San Carlos Apache Tribe/Chiricahua Apache, Navajo, and Taos Pueblo ancestry)(Heartdrum, 2026).
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 in Canada honors the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. It’s also known as Orange Shirt Day, prioritizing public education and healing across Canada and the United States. To reckon with parallel assimilation policies, the U.S. has adopted the date as a National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools.
Kirkus Reviews Audio: “Words and phrases are often repeated in this verse format, but Adams is able to deepen the feeling with each repetition.” Note: Kirkus Earphones Award.
AN EXPANSE OF BLUE, written and read by Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian), cover art by JT Ojerio (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up.
Celebrate National Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month! Highlights:
LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES is a White Raven 2026! #wrlist2026
Celebrate the scary season with Indigenous YA horror, mystery and suspense! Highlighted books:
This month, I’m celebrating Halloween and Día de Muertos at Auntie Cyn’s Little Red Library in Denton, TX, which launched two years ago this month! It’s been a fun way to encourage reading and nurture community. If you’re considering becoming a steward, feel free to ask me any questions! Do you see a scary-season read that beckons to you?
Congratulations, Nikki! The Poetry Foundation has appointed poet-children’s author Nikki Grimes the next Young People’s Poet Laureate.
Congratulations, Keala Kendall! THAT WHICH FEEDS US (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2026) is on the longlist for the 2026 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and Keala is the first Native Hawaiian to have received that honor. Huzzah!
The 2026 theme of Banned Books Week is Let Books Be — Protect the Freedom to Read.
Which of the children’s books in this collage can you identify by title and author? Are any of them among your favorites? They’re among mine. Each one entertained me or inspired me to think in a new or deeper way. They’re also on the ALA’s list of Frequently Challenged Children’s Books. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/childrensbooks
Cover Reveal for I AM A WARRIOR by Bridget George (Heartdrum, 2027)!
Now available! LIKE GLASS by Jen Ferguson (Métis and white), cover art by Alanah Jewell (Oneida Nation of the Thames)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up.
Pre-order GABRIEL’S WINTER COUNT by Andrea M. Page and Alfreda Beartrack Algeo (Charlesbridge, 2026).
Oct. 7 JF !ndigo
Which of the children’s books in this collage can you identify by title and author? Are any of them among your favorites? They’re among mine. Each one entertained me or inspired me to think in a new or deeper way. They’re also on the ALA’s list of Frequently Challenged YA Books https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/YAbooks.
Now available! The paperback edition of ON A WING AND A TEAR by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), cover art by Natasha Donovan (Métis)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 8-up.
“This coming-of-age story is recommended, especially for readers in a time of transition who will relate to the flow and feelings of the protagonist.” School Library Journal; the novel has also received starred reviews from Shelf Awareness, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly
LIKE GLASS by Jen Ferguson (Métis and white), cover art by Alanah Jewell (Oneida Nation of the Thames)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up. From award-winning author Jen Ferguson (Métis) comes the luminous story of a family steeped in grief and love.
Since 1982, Banned Books Week has addressed challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools, highlighting “the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.”
Oct. 9
Kirkus Reviews Audio: “A magical concoction of friendship and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right.” Note: Kirkus Earphones Award.
Oct. 12 Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day with 2026 releases from Heartdrum.
AANIIN: I SEE YOUR LIGHT, written by Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe), illustrated by Nanibah Chacon (Navajo) (Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up.
FREE TO FLY, written by Karina Iceberg (Aleut-Alutiiq), illustrated by Steph Littlebird (Kalapuya/Chinook)(Heartdrum, 2026). Age 4-up.
A GOOD HIDE, written by Karina Iceberg (Aleut (Unangax^) and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Nations), illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Métis)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up.
HERE COME THE AUNTIES!, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), illustrated by Aphelandra (Oneida)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up.
HERE COME THE GRANDMAS!, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), illustrated by Aphelandra (Oneida)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up.
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN: DONADAGOHVI, written by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee), illustrated by Morgan Thompson (Cherokee)(Heartdrum, 2026) Ages 4-up.
RAVEN, RISING by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee), cover art by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw)(Heartdrum, summer 2026). Ages 8-up.
AN EXPANSE OF BLUE by Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian), cover art by JT Ojerio (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up.
LIKE GLASS by Jen Ferguson (Métis and white), cover art by Alanah Jewell (Oneida Nation of the Thames)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up.
Oct. 13
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, a true-crime-inspired story by Jay Anson, employs a fictional Shinnecock Indian Nation burial ground. Stephen King’s PET SEMATARY incorporates a fictional Mi’kmaq burial ground. The implication, I suppose, is that if living Indigenous people are monstrous, dead ones must be full-blown demonic sources of evil.
Native people have a heightened sensitivity to our ancestors, those stolen after death, leading to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and those whose lives were stolen, leading to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Girls, Women and Two-Spirit Relatives movement. But the Indian Burial Ground trope persists. It’s frequent fodder on “haunted tours” of various historic sites and cities.
In HARVEST HOUSE, Muscogee Hughie Wolfe volunteers to work at a community fundraiser haunted house. It’s meant to be a fun house to celebrate Halloween. Complications quickly arise: (a) actors in ghostly red face are part of the show (b) the property is actually haunted by a Native college girl who went missing decades earlier. The story, which also includes humor and a cute, first-kiss romance, is structured around a countdown to Oct. 31.
It’s certainly possible to write engaging Native horror without casting Native humans as horrific. I urge literary citizens to hit pause and interrogate tropes like the Indian Burial Ground, both on the page and in our wider society.
NOTE: I am a fan of King’s writing, and MISERY is my fave horror novel. With regard to PET SEMATARY, I don’t think King would make the same writing choices today that he did in 1983. I’m not criticizing him or even punching up. I’m simply offering the most well-known examples. (In 1983, I launched into my chicken nuggets addiction.) We all make mistakes, and doing better is the work of being human.
Oct. 14
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Featured books:
THE RECESS QUEEN by Alexis O’Neill and Laura Huliska-Beith (Scholastic)
“Swirling perspectives in the gouache-and-collage artwork provide a sense of movement and largesse. And humorous details, such as steam coming from Mean Jean’s ears, or her bouncing another child like a ball, playfully convey the underlying drama of the situation.” —Publishers Weekly
CHRYSANTHEMUM by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)
★ “Henkes’s language and humor are impeccably fresh, his cozy illustrations sensitive and funny, his little asides to adults an unobtrusive delight. . . . Another winner from this perceptive artist.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
RAVEN, RISING by Christine Hartman Derr (Heartdrum)
★ School Library Journal (starred): “A gently magical tale of a Cherokee girl’s coming of age that tenderly handles very real issues; a strongly recommended debut for fiction collections.”
Oct. 15
Reminder! Online & In person! Join us for “Indigenous Voices: On the Page and Behind the Bylines,” presented by Cynthia Leitich Smith from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 10 at Elmer L. Anderson Library at 222 21st Av. S. in Minneapolis or online! The Friends of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries is honored to host the 2026 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) American Library Association (ALA) Children’s Literature Lecture. This event will also be livestreamed. https://view.ecommunications2.umn.edu/?vawpToken=HIW56KWQLVGU3K5N2DSNNDYOWA.60269
“Ferguson’s exemplary prose…crafts stunning images of the surrounding mountainside and probes deep into Tatum’s mind. This is a finely-wrought tale of sisterhood, grief, recovery, and the power of family. Along the way, characters that worm their way into Tatum’s heart come to life. A warmhearted family story, full of color.” —Booklist
The novel has also received starred reviews from Shelf Awareness, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly
LIKE GLASS by Jen Ferguson (Métis and white), cover art by Alanah Jewell (Oneida Nation of the Thames)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up.
Oct. 16
Indigenous stories that flow…
“North of North” from IMBD: “Siaja is a young Inuk mother who dreams of reinventing herself in her tiny Arctic community of Ice Cove, a town where everybody knows your business. After a spontaneous – and extremely public – exit from her marriage, Siaja finds herself navigating the unpredictable, and often hilarious, highs and lows that come with relationships, motherhood, a new job, and finding your way.” Watch on Netflix, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, CBC Television.
A GOOD HIDE, written by Karina Iceberg, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 4-up. “With humor and heart, debut author Karina and award-winning illustrator Natasha share a resonant message of gratitude, community, and shared knowledge as an intertribal Native Alaskan community works together to tan a moose hide.”
THE POWER OF STYLE by
#NorthOfNorth #bookstagram #2SLGBT #fashion #AlaskaNative
Oct. 19
Oct. 20
Indigenous stories that flow…
BERRY SONG by Michaela Goade (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022). Ages 4-up. On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries. Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry. Huckleberry, Snowberry, Strawberry, Crowberry. Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all. Michaela Goade’s luminous rendering of water and forest, berries and jams glows with her love of the land and offers an invitation to readers to deepen their own relationship with the earth.
“Molly of Denali” from IMDB: “An action-adventure comedy that follows the adventures of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl, her dog Suki, and friends Tooey and Trini on their adventures in epically beautiful Alaska.” Watch on PBS Kids, YouTube, on streaming at Amazon Prime, YouTube, and YouTubeTV.
EAGLE DRUMS by
FREE TO FLY, written by Karina Iceberg, illustrated by Steph Littlebird (Heartdrum, 2026). Age 4-up. In a treehouse by the sea, a grandfather shares the story of how he kept his dreams alive with thoughts of his future grandchild—who is his most precious dream of all.
#MollyofDenali #PBSKids #AlaskaNative #Alaska #PictureBooks #MiddleGradeBooks
Oct. 21
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Spirit Rangers” from IMDB: “Follows Native American sibling trio Kodiak, Summer and Eddy Skycedar, who have a shared secret: they’re Spirit Rangers!” Watch on Netflix.
SKY SISTERS, written by Two Ojibway sisters set off across the frozen north country to see the SkySpirits’ midnight dance. It isn’t easy for the younger sister to be silent, but gradually she begins to treasure the stillness and the wonderful experiences it brings. After an exhilarating walk and patient waiting, the girls are rewarded by the arrival of the SkySpirits — the northern lights — dancing and shimmering in the night sky. This powerful story…captures the chill of a northern night, the warmth of the family circle and the radiance of a child’s wonder.”
HEALER OF THE WATER MONSTER by Brian Young, cover art by Shonto Begay (Heartdrum, 2021). Ages 8-up. Powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster—and comes to realize he’s a hero at heart.
#SpiritRangers #Navajo #Bookstagram #PictureBooks #MGBooks
Oct. 22
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Dark Winds” from IMDB: “Follows Leaphorn and Chee, two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest that are forced to challenge their own spiritual beliefs when they search for clues in a double murder case.” Watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, AMC+, Apple, YouTubeTV and other streaming services.
THOSE PINK MOUNTAIN NIGHTS by Jen Ferguson, cover art by Bailey Macabre (Heartdrum, 2023). Ages 13-up. About the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small snowy town that changes everything.
LOOKING FOR SMOKE by K.A. Cobell, cover photo by Leah Rose Kolakowski (Heartdrum, 2024). Ages 13-up. Weaves loss, betrayal, and complex characters into a thriller that will illuminate, surprise, and engage readers until the final word.
FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley (Henry Holt, 2021). Ages 14-up. A groundbreaking thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.
#MMIWG #YABooks #DarkWinds #Mystery #MurderMystery
Oct. 23
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Echo”/MCU From IMBD: Maya Lopez must face her past, reconnect with her Choctaw roots, and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward. Watch on Disney+ or Apple TV.
SUPER INDIAN by Arigon Starr (Wacky Productions, 2012). Hubert Logan was an ordinary Reservation boy until he ate tainted commodity cheese infused with Rezium, a secret government food enrichment additive. Known as Super Indian, Hubert fights evil forces who would overtake the Reservation’s resources and population. Assisted by his trusty sidekicks Mega Bear and Diogi, they fight crime the way they know how — with strength, smarts and humor.
BLUE STARS: MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM, written by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, 2024). Ages 8-up. Two cousins from a Black and Mvskoke family become everyday superheroes and set out to save the world–starting with their middle school.
#graphicnovel #MCU #Echo #MGBooks #superheroes
Oct. 26
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Reservation Dogs” from IMDB: “Comedy series about four Native American teenagers growing up on a reservation in eastern Oklahoma.” Watch on Hulu or Disney+.
LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Paula TopSky Houtz (Heartdrum, 2025). Contributors: Kaua Māhoe Adams; Marcella Bell; Angeline Boulley; K.A. Cobell; A. J. Eversole; Jen Ferguson; Eric Gansworth; Byron Graves; Kate Hart; Christine Hartman Derr; Karina Iceberg; Cheryl Isaacs; Darcie Little Badger; David A. Robertson; Andrea L. Rogers; Cynthia Leitich Smith; and Brian Young. Ages 12+ Collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread.
IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE by Eric Gansworth (Arthur A. Levine, 2013). Ages 12+ A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship.
TWO TRIBES by Emily Bowen Cohen (Heartdrum, 2023). Ages 8-up. A Jewish Muscogee girl, navigating sensitive family dynamics, “learns to embrace the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes.”
#ReservationDogs #Anthology #Indigenous #NativeAmerican #Bookstagram
Oct. 27
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Rutherford Falls” from IMDB: “A small town in the Northeast is turned upside down when local legend and town namesake, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) fights the moving of a historical statue.”
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum, 2021)(paperback edition). Ages 10-up. A teenage girl who must face down her grief and reclaim her place in the world with the help of her intertribal community.
WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED by Angeline Boulley (Henry Holt, 2023). Ages 14-up. A high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.
HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2018, 2020). Ages 14-up. A Mvskoke student journalist is covering the controversy around the casting of her high school musical when her little brother lands a role and makes an unsettling discovery about the play’s history.
#Museums #NativeAmerican #Bookstagram #RutherfordFalls #YABooks
Oct. 28
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Rez Ball” from IMDB: “The Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico, must band together after losing their star player if they want to keep their quest for a state championship alive.” Watch on Netflix. NOTE: This movie and the novel listed below are not connected, though fans of one will likely enjoy the other.
REZ BALL by Bryon Graves, cover art by Natasha M. Donovan (Heartdrum, 2023). Ages 13-up. The relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. NOTE: This novel and the movie listed above are not connected, though fans of one will likely enjoy the other.
JUST LIKE GRANDMA, written by Kim Rogers, illustrated by Julie Flett (Heartdrum, 2023). Ages 4-up. Whether they are beading moccasins, dancing like the most beautiful butterflies, or practicing basketball together, Becca knows that, more than anything, she wants to be just like Grandma.
“Basketball or Nothing” from IMDB: The lives of the Chinle High School boys’ basketball team based on the Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona.” Watch on Netflix.
#basketball #bball #YANovel #PictureBook #Movies
Oct. 29
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Fancy Dance” from IMDB: Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact. Watch on Apple TV. NOTE: Rated R.
FIND HER by Ginger Reno (Holiday House, 2024). Ages 10-up. Explores the crisis of missing Indigenous women from the perspective of a sensitive young Cherokee girl who yearns to find her mother, while also navigating a chilling town mystery, a new friendship, and a family in need of healing.
ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Nicole Niedhardt (Heartdrum, 2021). Ages 8-up. Contributors: Joseph Bruchac; Art Coulson; Christine Day; Eric Gansworth; Dawn Quigley; Carole Lindstrom; Rebecca Roanhorse; David A. Robertson; Andrea L. Rogers; Kim Rogers; Cynthia Leitich Smith; Monique Gray Smith; Traci Sorell; Tim Tingle; Erika T. Wurth; Brian Young. A collection of intersecting stories set at a powwow that bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride.
Oct. 30
Indigenous stories that flow…
“Blood Quantum” from IMDB: “The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’kmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are strangely immune to the zombie plague.” Not rated.
THE UNFINISHED by Cheryl Isaacs, cover art by Britt Newton (Heartdrum, 2024). Ages 13-up. An unsettling tale of monsters, mystery, and secrets that refuse to stay submerged.
MAN MADE MONSTERS by Andrea L. Rogers (Levine Querido, 2024). Ages 14-up. Eighteen illustrated horror stories follow one Cherokee family through the atrocities ― supernatural and manmade ― each generation encounters.
ELATSOE by Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido, 2023). Ages 12-up. A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin’s ghost and vows to unmask the murderer.
HALLOWEEN
Nov. 1
Nov. 2
“Native American” is an umbrella term. “Osage” is tribally specific. Whenever it makes sense, err on the side of tribal specificity.
An Osage is not a Cherokee. Those Nations have distinct cultures, languages, and very, very long histories. Are there parallels? Yes, both have resisted colonization. Both are legally considered domestic dependent nations of the U.S., and their citizens participate in intertribal political movements and events. None of which is sufficient to create a Pan-Indian identity.
Though both are European, France is not Greece. Likewise, Osage Nation is not Cherokee Nation.
Check out these tribally-specific books:
I AM OSAGE: HOW CLARENCE TINKER BECAME THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN MAJOR GENERAL, written by Kim Rogers, illustrated by Bobby Von Martin (Heartdrum).
Nov. 3
Native people may fly under the radar, in large part due to the myth of extinction. Some people don’t expect us to be in the room, so they may not recognize us there. Complicating the dynamic is the fact that we’re often represented in the media in historical or culturally-specific garments, and we’re often depicted in stereotypical ways to the extent that a Hollywood director may cast an Italian who “looks more Indian” to them than an actual Native actor.
A few years ago, I presented an author program at a Houston-area public elementary school. The focus of my presentation was story building, and I mentioned my Mvskoke citizenship only in passing in my introduction. After I concluded, a young girl rushed up to me and introduced herself as an Oklahoma Cherokee. We began chatting and figured out that her grandparents lived near to my great aunt and uncle. She was clearly thrilled to be talking to a Native author with Oklahoma ties, threw her hands up and ran out to recess, shouting, “I am Cherokee.” Her teacher was surprised, musing, “I assumed she was Latina.” I replied, “She’s both.” A Native person–a Native child–may present as any racial type. Citizenship in a Native Nation is a political status, and bicultural kids aren’t at all unusual.
Nov. 4
Vote like you’re on Native land! Vote for candidates who’ll champion the right to read!
The rise in Native women candidates is the Indigenous Country story of the 2026 election.
Sharice Davids (D) is Ho-Chunk and serves the state district where I lived during much of my Kansas child. She is also openly lesbian, the first Native woman and first openly gay representative from Kansas.
Peggy Flanagan from White Earth is running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. If elected, she’ll be the first Native woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. Currently, she is the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.
Deb Haaland (D) from Laguna Pueblo is the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and former U.S. Representative from New Mexico. She is running for Governor of New Mexico. If she wins, she’ll be the first Native woman to serve as the governor of a state.
Mary Peltola (D) is Yu’pik and running for the U.S. Senate in Alaska. If elected, she’ll be the first Native woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. (Imagine if we had two!).
N’kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas (D) is a Chickasaw running for the U.S. Senate to represent Oklahoma. She’s a young candidate, in probably in the toughest race of the group, and as a practical nurse would bring medical expertise to the office.
Claire Valdez (D) from Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is running for New York’s Seventh Congressional District.
Sources: Rebecca Nagle @rebeccanagle and @indiancountrytoday.
RELATED BOOKS
WHAT YOUR RIBBON SKIRT MEANS TO ME: DEB HAALAND’S HISTORIC INAUGURATION by Alexis Bunten and Nicole Niedhardt (Christy Ottaviano Books);
SHE PERSISTED: DEB HAALAND by Laurel Goodluck,
SHARICE’S BIG VOICE: A NATIVE KID BECOMES A CONGRESSWOMAN by by Sharice Davids, Nancy K. Mays, and Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (HarperCollins);
SHE PERSISTED: WILMA MANKILLER by
WHO WAS WILMA MANKILLER? by Andrea M. Page and Stephen Marchesi (Penguin Workshop).
Nov. 5
Native military family representation in my fiction reflects reality. According to the National Indian Council on Aging, “American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years.” The U.S. population is about 1.4% Native and the military is 1.7% Native, “the highest per-capita involvement of any population to serve.” We also have the highest concentration of women servicemembers. Nearly 20 percent of Native servicemembers are women vs. 15.6% of all others.
FEATURED BOOKS
HERE COME THE GRANDMAS!, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith and illustrated by Aphelandra (Heartdrum)
INDIAN SHOES, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover by Sharon Irla, interior at by MaryBeth Timothy (Heartdrum)
ON A WING AND A TEAR by Cynthia Leititch Smith, cover by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum)
MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (THE BLUE STARS), written by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick Press)
HARVEST HOUSE by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover by Britt Newton (Candlewick Press)
HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick)
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum)
Nov. 6
Highlighting Native nonfiction for young readers:
IN OUR OWN WORDS: TRUE STORIES OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS by Brenda J. Child and Benay McNamara (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2026)
INDIGENOUS FROM A TO Z by Traci Sorell and Natasha Donvoan (Workman Kids, 2026)
I AM OSAGE: HOW CLARENCE TINKER BECAME THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN MAJOR GENERAL by Kim Rogers and Bobby Von Martin (Heartdrum, 2024)
TO WALK THE SKY: HOW IROQUOIS STEELWORKERS HELPED BUILD TOWERING CITIES by Patricia Morris Buckley and E.B. Lewis (Heartdrum. 2025)
BOARDING SCHOOLS AND THE INDIGENOUS STORY (RACE TO THE TRUTH) by Ashley Fairbanks (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2026)
RIDING THE TRAIL: CHEROKEES REMEMBER THE REMOVAL by Traci Sorell and Will Chavez (Charlesbridge, 2026)
#nonfiction #Cherokee #Indigenous #USAF #Bookstagram
Online and in person SOON! Join us for “Indigenous Voices: On the Page and Behind the Bylines,” presented by Cynthia Leitich Smith from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 10 at Elmer L. Anderson Library at 222 21st Av. S. in Minneapolis or online! The Friends of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries is honored to host the 2026 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) American Library Association (ALA) Children’s Literature Lecture. This event will also be livestreamed. https://view.ecommunications2.umn.edu/?vawpToken=HIW56KWQLVGU3K5N2DSNNDYOWA.60269
Nov. 9
“Children’s Book Week, established in 1919, is a celebration of books and the connection they bring. This beloved program continues to grow and adapt each year with new resources and ideas for joining in. As part of the longest-running national celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading, schools, libraries, and bookstores will celebrate Children’s Book Week on May 4-10 and November 9-15, from coast to coast across all 50 states.” CBW
The 2026 poster by Grace Lin, features the spine of my middle grade novel, SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA. Can you find it SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, cover by Floyd Cooper (Heartdrum) received five starred reviews, plus one for the audio edition.
Celebrate Native Heritage Month with 2026 picture books recommended at IndigenousReadsRising.com.
Nov. 10
Rock Your Mocs is a global movement each November where Indigenous people honor culture, identity, and connection by wearing or displaying our moccasins.
ROCK YOUR MOCS, written by Laurie Goodluck (Mandan-Hidatsa-Tsimshian), illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw)(Heartdrum, 2023). Ages 4-up.
We’re stepping out and kicking it up.
Wearing beauty on their feet—as art, as tradition, with style, with pride—kids from different Native Nations know every day is a day to rock your mocs. In this happy, vibrant nod to Rock Your Mocs Day, author Laurel Goodluck and artist Madelyn Goodnight celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins all year round—and the Native pride that comes with them.
- American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) Best Books
- American Indian Youth Literature Honor Award
- CCBC Choices
- Featured Title, “Entwined Memory: A Special Book Installation,” curated by Eleanor Owl Stolzoff, August 8, 2025 – August 2, 2026, Reading Library, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day
According to the U.S. Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs, Veterans Day on Nov. 11 is “[a] celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
ABOUT
I AM OSAGE: HOW CLARENCE TINKER BECAME THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN MAJOR GENERAL, written by Kim Rogers (Wichita), illustrated by Bobby Von Martin (Choctaw)(Heartdrum, 2024). Ages 4-up.
This informative and inspiring picture book by acclaimed author Kim Rogers (Wichita), with striking artwork by debut illustrator Bobby Von Martin (Choctaw), celebrates the achievements of Clarence Tinker, a member of the Osage Nation who became the first Native American major general.
Clarence Tinker always knew that he wanted to do something extraordinary. Something adventurous. Something that made a difference in the world. But as a member of the Osage Nation at the turn of the twentieth century, there were a lot of obstacles that he had to face to achieve his dreams. When he was a child, Clarence was taken away from his family and community. He was forced to attend a prison-like boarding school, like many other Native children of his generation. There, he wasn’t able to speak his language or practice his Osage customs.
Still, Clarence kept his dream close to his heart and joined the US Army with the goal of becoming an officer. Though he was treading an unfamiliar path, he worked hard and never forgot his Osage values and traditions that, ultimately, paved his way to success.
I AM OSAGE, the first nonfiction project from the Heartdrum imprint, combines gorgeous, vibrant artwork with a stirring text that celebrates an unsung hero while also shedding light on significant American history.
★ School Library Journal (starred): “Tinker’s life unfolds and is not separate from the struggles of Indigenous people in North America, as colonial entities unlawfully or immorally controlled and restricted their freedom to pursue dreams. Von Martin’s illustration glow with the radiance of oil paintings, drawing the eye to key moments in Tinker’s life and highlighting aspects of Osage culture. VERDICT An excellent addition to nonfiction collections for young readers.”
Nov. 12
When I first began talking to young readers about Native characters, their exclusive use the past tense was chilling. You would’ve thought we’d gone extinct shortly after 1492. The “vanishing Indian” is a myth. Our populations are recovering. My tribe, the Mvskoke Nation, is more than 100,000 citizens strong. Native languages and traditions are alive, our governments are functioning, and our peoples are making fresh contributions to their communities and society every day.
Does that mean we shouldn’t read or teach historical narratives? Of course not. It means that we should emphasize that Native peoples have a past, present, and future. Dr. Debbie Reese has suggested introducing books with information about the specific featured tribes today, perhaps showing their government’s official website, and highlighting biographies of the authors and illustrators.
Featured Books:
WE ARE STILL HERE! NATIVE AMERICAN TRUTHS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW by Traci Sorell and Frane Lessac (Charlesbridge)
WE STILL BELONG by Christine Day, cover by Madelyn Goodnight (Heartdrum)
WHEN WE GATHER (OSTADAHLISIHA): A CHEROKEE TRIBAL FEAST by Andrea L. Rogers and Madelyn Goodnight (Heartdrum)
WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade (Roaring Brook)
Nov. 13
We celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Native Heritage Month. That’s terrific! It really is, but we are Native every day.
Recognition days and months are helpful prompts. Shine a light! Then keep shining all year long.
Seasonal Native children’s books abound, and these four should get you started.
THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day (Heartdrum); ★ Publishers Weekly (starred): “A contemplative and emotional story of resilience and reinvention whose dedication sums it up well: ‘To anyone who needs a reminder that pain is temporary.’”
SPRINGTIME IN KITKATLA by Kim Spencer and Karlene Harvey (Orca Book Publishers); School Library Journal: “While the book’s narration hews closely to the theme of feelings about a beloved place, the additional layer of Wałaas’s culture creates opportunities for further exploration for children who aren’t already familiar with the Northwest First Nations.”
FIREFLY SEASON by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Kate Gardiner (Heartdrum); ★ Publishers Weekly (starred): “…longing, love, and the blessing of found sisterhood.”
A GOOD HIDE by Karina Iceberg and Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum); ★ Kirkus Reviews (starred): “Simple yet utterly joyous—a testament to Indigenous identity that exudes gratitude.”
Nov. 16
Celebrate Native Heritage Month with 2026 chapter books and middle grade books recommended at IndigenousReadsRising.com.
Nov. 17
Honor Native knowledge and innovation. A shout out to educators who’re here to learn. If you’re not already, it’s time to integrate Native knowledge, innovation, and contributions throughout the curriculum.
Consider, for example, these four books with regard to STEAM:
TO WALK THE SKY: HOW IROQUOIS STEELWORKERS HELPED BUILD TOWERING CITIES, written by Patricia Morris Buckley, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Heartdrum. 2025).
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover art by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum, 2021)(paperback edition). Story features photography, journaling, visual art, web coding, and building a weight-bearing pasta bridge.
Nov. 18
Celebrate diversity within Indigenous Country! There are more than 1,200 unique tribes within the borders of the U.S. and Canada, and you’ll find intersectional diversity within all of the them. Consider these examples:
CIRCLE OF LOVE, written by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Nicole Niedhardt (Heartdrum, 2024). Kirkus Reviews: “Queer and gender-nonconforming relatives figure prominently in Neidhardt’s vibrant images; Molly’s community is lovingly portrayed as one that includes people with many gender expressions, skin tones, and styles of dress, and the words ‘love is love’ appear throughout the book’s colorful spreads. This is a beautiful and moving glimpse into the rich intersections of Indigenous cultures and the Native queer and trans people who co-create them.”
STRONGER THAN, written by Nikki Grimes and Stacy Wells, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Heartdrum, 2026). ★ Booklist (starred): “A powerful picture book about a Black Choctaw child discovering who he is.”
BRAIDED ROOTS, written by
TWO TRIBES by Emily Bowen Cohen (Heartdrum, 2023). From the publisher: “A Jewish Muscogee girl, navigating sensitive family dynamics, “learns to embrace the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes.”
Nov. 19
Embrace critical thinking when it comes to Native peoples, tribal Nations, and history. Each of these books takes on some aspect of the dominant societal culture and reframes it with a Native sensibility, one which lends itself to readers weighing competing perspectives.
THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins); consider this authentic Ojibwe middle grade as a corrective text for LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE by Laura Ingalls Wilder, cover by Garth Williams, which includes numerous historical and cultural misrepresentations.
SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Heartdrum); consider this reimagination of J.M. Barrie’s classic PETER PAN, which centers the girls and tribally specific Native characters in a modern times in a story that respectfully welcomes all young readers.
MASCOT by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell (Charlesbridge). ★ Publishers Weekly (starred): “Told via seven alternating narratives, this ripped-from-the-headlines collaboration in verse by Waters and Cherokee Nation member Sorrel follows a fictional town’s division over a racist sports mascot.”
HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick Press). ★ School Library Journal (starred): “Absorbing….Blending teen romance with complex questions of identity, equality, and censorship, this is an excellent choice…” Examines the relationship between an artist and their art in light of pro-genocide newspaper editorials by L. Frank Baum, author of THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ.
Nov. 23
Celebrate Native Heritage Month with 2026 young adult books recommended at IndigenousReadsRising.com.