Recommended Reading List from MinnAqua
Fiction and nonfiction books about Minnesota fish, aquatic invertebrates, water safety, habitats.
Recommended Reading List from Project Learning Tree
Fiction and nonfiction books about trees, forests, cultures and diversity, habitats, natural systems, biomes, energy.
Recommended Reading List from Project WILD
View dozens of books organized by age level.
Recommended Reading List from Get the Kids Outside
List contains dozens of books for children to read outdoors. Includes classics such as Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet and Jean Craighead George’s Julie of the Wolves, along with more recent award-winning books.
Organized by age level.
A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers
Lower elementary
Winner of the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award and a Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended Title.
Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper
Lower elementary
With a blend of fact and fun, this salute to the industrious beaver is also an energetic celebration of Indigenous perspectives, languages, and diversity.
How the Birds Got Their Songs by Minnesota author Travis Zimmerman and Sam Zimmerman
Elementary
The Great Spirit challenges all the birds to a contest, and the gift of birdsong is born! This traditional story, told in both English and Ojibwe, explains bird behavior and where humans should go to hear the prettiest of birdsongs.
I Am Loved by Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason
Lower elementary
Pakak is in a new foster home, with new people, new food, and new smells. Feeling alone and uncertain, Pakak finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his anaanattiaq, his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be.
Mashkiki Road: The Seven Grandfather Teachings by Elizabeth S. Barrett
Lower elementary
Three young cousins explore the woods in search of medicines that heal and purify, also gathering advice from wise beings who offer life lessons cherished through generations.
The Moccasins by Earl Einarson
Lower elementary
This is an endearing story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother. Her gift of warmth and thoughtfulness helps her young foster children by encouraging self-esteem, acceptance, and love. Written as a simple story, it speaks of a positive foster experience.
The Secret Pocket by Peggy Janicki
Elementary
The true story of how Indigenous girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive.
We Dream Medicine Dreams by Lisa Boivin
Lower elementary
Masterful prose and stunning collage weave a gentle story about animal teachings, the power of dreams, and the death of a loved one.
From Dene artist and bioethicist Lisa Boivin comes this healing story of hope, dreams, and the special bond between grandfather and granddaughter.
When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
Lower elementary
Nothing will stop a strong-minded young Inuit girl from learning how to read.