San Mateo County Reads
San Mateo County Reads fosters community and discussion through literacy by inviting people to share a reading experience. The program is designed to inspire enthusiasm for reading and spark conversations that promote understanding of important social issues and topics. Research shows that when families and communities are involved, students' educational opportunities are increased as well as their academic achievement. Reading widely and often is a fundamental practice that is happening less often in our digital age and impacting student achievement. A shared reading experience can promote conversations, create connections, and deepen the motivation to continue reading for other purposes.
FALL 2022 THEME: NATIVE AUTHORS - NATIVE LIVES
We are working to correct the stories and practices that have often erased indigenous people’s history and culture. Our team of educators and San Mateo County librarians selected this year’s San Mateo County Reads slate of books to help lift the stories of indigenous voices. Read with us this November!
ABOUT THE BOOKS
FOR OUR YOUNG READERS (Grades TK-3)
WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS
A young Indigenous girl describes what water means to her people and to the entire planet, while leading the fight to stop the “black snake” oil pipeline that threatens it. A #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Carole Lindstrom is Anishinaabe/Métis and is tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently makes her home in Maryland. A fierce water protector herself, Carole writes about the connection between her culture and the land, speaking up for all the voices that cannot speak for themselves.
Michaela Goade is of Tlingit descent and is tribally enrolled with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. She grew up in the rain forests and on the beaches of Juneau, Alaska, where she still lives today. She is an award-winning designer and illustrator and has illustrated a number of picture books.
JINGLE DANCER
Jenna wants to follow the tradition of dancing at a powwow, but she doesn’t have any jingles on her dress! Resourceful and determined, she visits generations of women in her family who help with her goal.
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Cynthia Leitich Smith grew up in the Kansas City area. Today, Cynthia is an award-winning, bestselling author of books for young readers, on the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts, and the author-curator of the Heartdrum line at HarperCollins. She’s also a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, which is the fourth largest Native American tribe. Cynthia currently makes her home in Austin, Texas, and lives with two feisty Chihuahuas named Gnocchi and Orzo.
Ying-Hwa Hu
After years of immersing in the visual realm, Ying-Hwa found herself writing down the magical world of her characters as they jump out of her imagination. Ying-Hwa lives in New York City with her husband, Cornelius. They have two children.
Cornelius Van Wright
Cornelius Van Wright is an award-winning children's book illustrator and author. He has illustrated over 30 books, focusing mainly on stories that celebrate historical heroes and multicultural families. Cornelius lives in New York City with his lovely wife, Ying-Hwa and their two fantastical children.
FOR OUR YOUNG READERS (Grades 4-8)
REZ DOGS
Malian was spending time with her grandparents on the reservation when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Her community, including one of the neighborhood dogs, must protect one another. Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, Rez Dogs examines how the characters apply lessons learned from the past to their lives.
Joseph Bruchac
For over forty years, Joseph Bruchac has been creating literature and music that reflect his indigenous heritage and traditions. He is a proud Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and respected elder among his people. He is the author of more than 120 books for children and adults. His best selling Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children series, with its remarkable integration of science and folklore, continues to receive critical acclaim and to be used in classrooms throughout the country.
FOR OUR YOUNG ADULT READERS (Grades 9-12)
FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER
After a shocking murder takes place on the Ojibwe reservation, Daunis Fontaine gets thrust into an undercover investigation. In the process she discovers past scandals and painful truths within her community, while also finding love, family, and acceptance. A #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Angeline Boulley
Angeline Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Angeline lives in southwest Michigan, but her home will always be on Sugar Island. Firekeeper's Daughter is her debut novel.
FOR OUR ADULT READERS
THERE THERE
A wondrous and shattering novel that follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American—grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism.
Tommy Orange
Tommy Orange is a recent graduate of the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He is a 2014 MacDowell Fellow, and a 2016 Writing by Writers Fellow. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He was born and raised in Oakland, California, and currently lives in Angels Camp, California.
Find these books at your local library.
These books and more are included on the California Department of Education Recommended Reading List.