Book Selections for 2026

A plainspoken cultural guide for Natives and non-Natives alike.

This collection of short essays about Native Americans is comprehensive, equitable, and generous. Structured around questions that distinguished scholar Treuer (Ojibwe) encounters in his public talks, the book addresses a range of topics: sovereignty, politics, language, music, religion, gender and sexuality, and more. Responses to founding events in America’s history help counteract missing Native perspectives in school curricula. Written with a clear desire to heal misunderstandings and do away with stereotypes, the book uses photographs and anecdotes to illustrate the author’s lessons. This edition adapted for teens is also updated, with coverage of current events, including the Covington Catholic High School scandal at the Lincoln Memorial, the Black Lives Matters movement, the Dakota Access Pipeline protest, progress with removing Native sports team mascots, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The author’s tone is thoughtful as he asks readers to engage with challenging subjects: “All human beings have dark chapters in their personal histories. And all nations have dark chapters in theirs. Nobody should be stuck in shame. However, it is important for all countries and all individuals to examine dark chapters in order to learn from them and prevent them from reoccurring.” While driven by facts, the book becomes personal whenever elements of the author’s life peek through, giving readers a sense of his character and the commitment he brings to his work.

Wise, well-researched, and not to be missed.

(Kirkus Review)

A fire changes a 15-year-old boy’s life in this fiction debut by noted Ojibwe scholar and author Treuer.

Ezra Cloud, a member of the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation in Canada, lives in Minneapolis with his professor father, Byron. When the home of bully Matt Schroeder—“just the kind of colonizer who would’ve been a perfect fit in the US 7th Cavalry in 1890, trying to kill innocent Lakota children with a Hotchkiss gun”—mysteriously burns down the night after a public altercation between Matt and Ezra, the police want to question Matt’s classmates. Byron arranges for his son to give his statement over Zoom and takes him back to the rez, where Ezra is thrilled to learn he’ll be working the trapline for the winter with Grandpa Liam. Ezra’s a strong student who must still do his homework and check in with teachers when he has internet access, but otherwise he’ll be focusing on wilderness knowledge. Alongside issues such as racism, Ezra’s first-person perspective thoughtfully explores grief: His mother passed recently, and he’s angry and has a rocky relationship with Byron. The novel positively portrays Indigenous characters through characterization that embraces and affirms the parallel paths of traditional ways and formal schooling. Byron is a caring father who wants to be involved in his son’s life during a trying time. The Cloud family are wolf clan, something referenced in Pawis-Steckley’s striking Anishinaabe woodland art–style digital spot illustrations.

A nuanced adventure centering family and growth.

(Kirkus Review)

In this tribute to Native resilience, Indigenous author-and-illustrator team Lindstrom and Goade invite readers to stand up for environmental justice.

“Water is the first medicine,” a young, unnamed protagonist reflects as she wades into a river with her grandmother. “We come from water.” Stunning illustrations, rich in symbolism from the creators’ respective Ojibwe and Tlingit/Haida lineages, bring the dark-haired, brown-skinned child’s narrative to life as she recounts an Anishinaabe prophecy: One day, a “black snake” will terrorize her community and threaten water, animals, and land. “Now the black snake is here,” the narrator proclaims, connecting the legend to the present-day threat of oil pipelines being built on Native lands. Though its image is fearsome, younger audiences aren’t likely to be frightened due to Goade’s vibrant, uplifting focus on collective power. Awash in brilliant colors and atmospheric studies of light, the girl emphasizes the importance of protecting “those who cannot fight for themselves” and understanding that on Earth, “we are all related.” Themes of ancestry, community responsibility, and shared inheritance run throughout. Where the brave protagonist is depicted alongside her community, the illustrations feature people of all ages, skin tones, and clothing styles. Lindstrom’s powerful message includes non-Native and Native readers alike: “We are stewards of the Earth. We are water protectors.”

An inspiring call to action for all who care about our interconnected planet.

(Kirkus Review)