Children's & YA Books by
Native Authors & Illustrators

Native writing

Jenna and Cousin Elizabeth from Jingle Dancer

from Jingle Dancer by
Cynthia Leitich Smith
illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
and Ying-Hwa Hu


Welcome to the pages highlighting children's and young adult books by Native American authors and illustrators.

While hundreds of books about Indians are published every year, Native children's books creators are among the most underrepresented groups in publishing today.

However, those who have found success shine among its brightest stars—people like Joseph Bruchac, Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Simon Ortiz, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Shonto Begay, Gayle Ross, SD Nelson, Kathleen and Michael Lacapa, Jan Bourdeau Waboose, Richard Van Camp, and Tim Tingle.

We encourage you to learn more about Native American children's book creators and Native American children's/young adult literature.

A brief note on the terms "Native American," "American Indian" etc. Because the purpose is to offer information to a wide audience, both internal and external, about related children's books, we are currently employing both. This way folks looking under one or the other will still find this site. Some of the books listed are a team effort between a Native author or illustrator and a non-Indian author or illustrator. If available, tribal affiliations are noted.