Recommended Young Adult Indigenous Literature

      In this English Journal article, Yvette Regalado and Melody Zoch highlight these young adult novels, verse novels, and graphic novels with Indigenous themes: 

• Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt – middle and high school
• I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day – middle grades
• Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth – high school
• A Girl Called Echo, Volume 1: Pemmican Wars, a graphic novel by Katherena Vermette, illustrated by Scott Henderson – middle and high school
• A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger – middle and high school 

“Critical Hope and Collective Cariño Through Indigenous Youth Literature” by Yvette Regalado and Melody Zoch in English Journal, November 2025 (Vol. 115, #2, pp. 26-36)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1126 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.