Happy Native American Heritage Month!
Did you know that November is Native American Heritage Month? We are so excited here at Atlas to be featuring Native American culture and stories! I am sure you have heard me mention an infographic by the School Library Journal that showed that in 2018, only 1% of children’s books published here in the United States featured an American Indian/First Nations character. That number is up from 0.9% in 2015. We can do better!
This is why our goal for the month of November, and months to come, is to feature Indigenous stories as often as we can. We did this last month with the Aboriginal stories from Australia. Did you enjoy those? You can get them now if you missed them, and they are on sale! In addition to exposing your child to these stories, we are hoping, with our small contribution, that the publishing industry will start to take notice that there is, indeed, a demand for these stories.
Now on to the preview of the diverse Native stories that your child will be getting this month! With our Hatch we are featuring the story of a little girl spending time with her grandmother – just a regular day with this Interior Salish family set in British Columbia. Our Nest Jr. readers will learn more about a historic Native woman of the Hidatsa tribe of what is now know as North Dakota, while our Nest readers will follow along the history of the Choctaw Nation in this heart breaking, beautifully written historical fiction novel. And last but certainly not the list, our Soar selection is about a tale of two boys, one Native and the other white, as they forge a beautiful friendship set in the Tuscarora Reservation of what is now known as Niagara County, NY.
I am super proud of these selections. If you haven’t, you can still subscribe below to get our November boxes. We hope we have succeeded in providing selections that gives a small insight into a few of the hundreds of Native tribes across North America.
WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THE NOVEMBER BOX CHECK OUT THIS BOOK LIST OF NATIVE AMERICAN AND FIRST NATIONS STORIES! LET US KNOW WHAT BOOKS YOU’RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith, Julie Flett (Illustrator)
The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. (Orca Book Publishers)
Great for Hatch readers.
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, Julie Flett (Illustrator)
When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history, and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength. (Portage and Main)
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn’t have any answers.
Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic—a box full of letters signed “Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her.
Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about? But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how can she trust them to tell her the truth now? (Harper Collins Publishers)
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
Humanity has nearly destroyed its world through global warming, but now an even greater evil lurks. The indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden—but what they don’t know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves. (Cormorant Books)
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