14 Stories That Center Native American Voices

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is also referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to honor the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to recognize the important contributions of Native people. 

One way to educate your students about different tribes and the challenges Native people have faced in the past and continue to face in the present is to make sure books by Native American authors and focused on Native American characters are present on the shelves of your classroom library. You may also want to reconsider including books on your shelves that tell Natives' stories and history, but are told by non-Native authors. 

Below you'll find books by Native American authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, for you to feature in your classroom library. To mirror the diversity of Native tribes and experiences, included is a variety of fiction and non fiction, fantasy and dystopia, humor and realistic fiction, short stories and novels in verse. Click on the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book to read their recommendation.

16 Titles To Highlight During Hispanic Heritage Month and Beyond

Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 - October 15 to recognize the history, culture, and achievements of Americans whose heritage can be connected to over 20 countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. 

HHM is a great time to highlight books that center Hispanic and Latinx experiences, but these books should have a place on the shelves of your classroom library beyond that. Hispanics represent 18.9% of the total U.S. population, the nation's second largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites. This growing population deserves to see their friendships and families, first loves and heartbreaks, struggles and successes on the pages of books.

Below you'll find fiction and nonfiction titles by Hispanic and Latinx authors recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers for you to feature in your classroom library. Click on the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book to read their recommendation.