You may remember back in October, I had the honor of talking with a wide range of outstanding Native and Indigenous writers who discussed the past, present, and future of their voices in children’s and young adult literature. The bulk of the books highlighted there were fiction, but Native and Indigenous voices and stories are also important to explore in nonfiction. Let’s take a look at a few you can grab now and some for you to preorder for future reading. Descriptions for these come from ‘zon because I’ve only read one myself (which I’ll talk about a bit after the description). But you better believe they’re all on my to-read. The term “Apple” is a slur in Native communities across the country. It’s for someone supposedly “red on the outside, white on the inside.” Eric Gansworth is telling his story in Apple (Skin to the Core). The story of his family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. Eric shatters that slur and reclaims it in verse and prose and imagery that truly lives up to the word heartbreaking. The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history. This book is absolutely beautiful and powerful, showcasing Native teen voices, art, and creativity. It’s a shorter one, so you can read it quickly, but it’s really one to sit and savor!
