Six Books by Indigenous Authors for Canadian Teens and Tweens

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We tapped into one of our favorite resources, Luanna Venditti, a high school document technician, to compile a list of young adult titles written by indigenous authors. We only need five, we said. But sure, you try to stop a book lover in five options. Here are six.

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YA books, series and graphic novels are included.

The Mighty Muskrats series by Michael Hutchinson

Windy Lake First Nation can rely on four young cousins, the Mighty Muskrats, to get to the bottom of anything that might happen in their community. The books come with classic mystery titles like The Case of the Missing Aunt and The Case of the Stolen Package.

Recommended for ages 9-12.

A Song of Fire by Adam Garnet Jones

There are difficult themes in this novel adaptation of a film about a gay teenager in Northern Ontario, including suicide, grief, poverty, and the pain of being cooped up in a small community. Books like these open doors to important conversations with our children.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves

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Oh, would you rather have a little dystopia? How about a post-apocalyptic world where the population has been stripped of their ability to dream, driving them insane? The cure is in the marrow of the indigenous people, who have preserved the ability to dream and who are hunted in search of the cure. Dimaline received the Governor General’s Literary Award for English children’s literature for the title in 2017.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett

This graphic novel follows two friends in an urban setting. When one of the teens, fearful of having to move into a group home, goes missing, the other must deal with past fear and trauma as the community searches for her. It is billed as “a story about femininity, friendship, colonialism, and the anguish of a missing loved one.”

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Recommended for ages 12-14.

A Girl Called Echo Series by Katherena Vermette

These graphic novels are about a 13-year-old Métis girl who travels back in time and relives the experiences of those who came before her. Vermette won the 41st Annual First Novel Award, presented by Amazon.ca and The Walrus Foundation, for her novel The Break of Her in 2017.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

He Who Dreams by Melanie Florence

Here we are again with our dreams. John is afraid that his dream of being a dancer will be mocked, but if he wants to continue with the classes, he has to tell someone. Also great Florence titles are Dreaming in Color, The Missing and Stolen Words.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

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