American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL): Lists of Best Books, 2010-2021
Resources for selected titles recognized by this list since its inception in 2010 -- recognizing the best books by or about American Indians, First Nations, Native Americans, and Indigenous People.
Sponsored by American Indians in Children's Literature

- 3,445 Resources including
- 346 Videos
- 180 Book Readings
- 281 Lesson Plans
- List Analysis Report
Showing 1-48 of 244 book results


Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
71 Resources23 Awards

We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
(Picture Book Selection, 2020)
67 Resources18 Awards

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal
(Picture Book Selection, 2019)
55 Resources15 Awards


We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac
(Picture Book Selection, 2018)
50 Resources14 Awards

Flying Lessons & Other Stories
by Ellen Oh, Kelly J. Baptist, Soman Chainani, and Meg Medina
(Middle Grades Selection, 2017)
43 Resources7 Awards

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
by Traci Sorell and Natasha Donovan
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
41 Resources9 Awards


When We Were Alone
by David Alexander Robertson and Julie Flett
(Board Book Selection, 2016)
37 Resources6 Awards

The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth
by Wade Hudson, Cheryl Willis Hudson, and Torrey Maldonado
(Middle Grades Selection, 2020)
37 Resources7 Awards


An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jean Mendoza, and Debbie Reese
(High School Selection, 2019)
(Middle Grades Selection, 2019)
36 Resources9 Awards

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson, and Nikkolas Smith
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
35 Resources12 Awards




Jingle Dancer
by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ying-Hwa Hu, and Cornelius Van Wright
(Elementary Selection, 2010)
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
33 Resources5 Awards


Indian Shoes
by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Jim Madsen
(Early Chapter Book Selection, 2021)
(Middle Selection, 2010)
32 Resources4 Awards


We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices
by Wade Hudson, Cheryl Willis Hudson, and Tony Medina
(Middle Grades Selection, 2018)
30 Resources6 Awards


At the Mountain's Base
by Traci Sorell and Weshoyot Alvitre
(Picture Book Selection, 2019)
29 Resources7 Awards

The Hero Next Door
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Joseph Bruchac, Linda Sue Park, and Anna Dobbin
(Middle Grades Selection, 2019)
28 Resources1 Awards



This Place: 150 Years Retold
by Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette, David Alexander Robertson, and Jen Storm
(Comics and Graphic Novels Selection, 2019)
27 Resources4 Awards


On the Trapline
by David Alexander Robertson and Julie Flett
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
27 Resources7 Awards

Rain Is Not My Indian Name
(High School Selection, 2021)
(Middle Selection, 2010)
26 Resources2 Awards

I Am Not a Number
by Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer, and Gillian Newland
(Middle Grades Selection, 2016)
26 Resources6 Awards




Fatty Legs: A True Story
by Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and Liz Amini-Holmes
(Elementary Selection, 2013)
(Middle Grades Selection, 2020)
25 Resources6 Awards

Indian No More
by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
(Middle Grades Selection, 2019)
25 Resources6 Awards

The Used-To-Be Best Friend
by Dawn Quigley and Tara Audibert
(Early Chapter Book Selection, 2021)
25 Resources7 Awards

I Sang You Down from the Stars
by Tasha Spillett and Michaela Goade
(Picture Book Selection, 2021)
25 Resources7 Awards


Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices
by Lisa Charleyboy, Mary Beth Leatherdale, and Inti Ameratsu
(High School Selection, 2014)
23 Resources7 Awards

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
by Joseph Marshall, III and Jim Yellowhawk
(Middle Grades Selection, 2015)
23 Resources7 Awards

My Heart Fills with Happiness
by Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett
(Board Book Selection, 2016)
23 Resources4 Awards

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women
by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Lisa Charleyboy
(High School Selection, 2017)
23 Resources10 Awards


Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition)
by Anton Treuer
(High School Selection, 2021)
23 Resources5 Awards

The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege
(High School Selection, 2021)
23 Resources6 Awards

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker
by Robbie Robertson and David Shannon
(Picture Book Selection, 2015)
22 Resources4 Awards