Reading in Action

To The Parent

All books on this site are read and reviewed by the library staff at Fresno County Office of Education to ensure quality and age appropriateness. Only positive reviews are published. It is our hope to foster a love of reading in the children that visit Reading in Action.

To The Teacher

We read and review the latest and award-winning titles in children's' and young adult fiction and non-fiction to assist students in their independent reading selections. Books can be searched by topic and age level for classroom use. All books are available through the Fresno County Office of Education Library.

http://readinginaction.org/

Indigenous children's books for health and wellness

Here is a website that does health and social issues that pertain to indigenous people.  Contact Sean Muir at sean@thehealthyaboriginal.net. The website is http://thehealthyaboriginal.net/

 

Tanis Petry's book Ursa's Warriors is an imaginative story written by an experienced social worker intended as a therapeutic tool for children dealing with grief and loss. At the end of the story is an art project to help the child identify his or her own strengths and reflect on how these unique qualities might help in coping with the toughest of days. https://www.amazon.ca/Ursas-Warriors-Tanis-Petry-ebook

Urban Tribes edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Urban Tribes edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale
Annick Press

Young, urban Natives powerfully show how their culture and values can survive—and enrich—city life.

Much of the popular discourse on Native Americans and Aboriginals focuses on reservation life. But the majority of Natives in North America live off the rez. How do they stay rooted to their culture? How do they connect with their community?

Urban Tribes offers unique insight into this growing and often misperceived group. Emotionally potent and visually arresting, the anthology profiles young urban Natives from across North America, exploring how they connect with Native culture and values in their contemporary lives. Their stories are as diverse as they are. From a young Dene woman pursuing a MBA at Stanford to a Pima photographer in Phoenix to a Mohawk actress in New York, these urban Natives share their unique perspectives to bridge the divide between their past and their future, their cultural home, and their adopted cities.

Unflinchingly honest and deeply moving, contributors explore a wide-range of topics. From the trials and tribulations of dating in the city to the alienating experience of leaving a remote reserve to attend high school in the city, from the mainstream success of Electric Pow wow music to the humiliation of dealing with racist school mascots, personal perspectives illuminate larger political issues. An innovative and highly visual design offers a dynamic, reading experience.

http://richincolor.com/2015/11/native-american-voices/

Crazy Horse’s Girlfriend by Erika T. Wurth

Crazy Horse's Girlfriend by Erika T. Wurth
Curbside Splendor

Margaritte is a sharp-tongued, drug-dealing, sixteen-year-old Native American floundering in a Colorado town crippled by poverty, unemployment, and drug abuse. She hates the burnout, futureless kids surrounding her and dreams that she and her unreliable new boyfriend can move far beyond the bright lights of Denver that float on the horizon before the daily suffocation of teen pregnancy eats her alive.

http://richincolor.com/2015/11/native-american-voices/

If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth
Arthur Levine

Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him — people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home — will he still be his friend?

Acclaimed adult author Eric Gansworth makes his YA debut with this wry and powerful novel about friendship, memory, and the joy of rock 'n' roll.

http://richincolor.com/2015/11/native-american-voices/

Killer of Enemies and the sequel Trail of the Dead by Joseph Bruchac

Killer of Enemies and the sequel Trail of the Dead by Joseph Bruchac
Tu Books

A post-Apocalyptic YA novel with a steampunk twist, based on an Apache legend.

Years ago, seventeen-year-old Apache hunter Lozen and her family lived in a world of haves and have-nots. There were the Ones — people so augmented with technology and genetic enhancements that they were barely human — and there was everyone else who served them. Then the Cloud came, and everything changed. Tech stopped working. The world plunged back into a new steam age. The Ones' pets — genetically engineered monsters — turned on them and are now loose on the world.

Lozen was not one of the lucky ones pre-C, but fate has given her a unique set of survival skills and magical abilities. She hunts monsters for the Ones who survived the apocalyptic events of the Cloud, which ensures the safety of her kidnapped family. But with every monster she takes down, Lozen's powers grow, and she connects those powers to an ancient legend of her people. It soon becomes clear to Lozen that she is not just a hired gun. As the legendary Killer of Enemies was in the ancient days of the Apache people, Lozen is meant to be a more than a hunter. Lozen is meant to be a hero.

http://richincolor.com/2015/11/native-american-voices/

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale
Annick Press

A powerful and visually stunning anthology from some of the most groundbreaking Native artists working in North America today.

Truly universal in its themes, "Dreaming In Indian" will shatter commonly held stereotypes and challenge readers to rethink their own place in the world. Divided into four sections, 'Roots, ' 'Battles, ' 'Medicines, ' and 'Dreamcatchers, ' this book offers readers a unique insight into a community often misunderstood and misrepresented by the mainstream media.

Emerging and established Native artists, including acclaimed author Joseph Boyden, renowned visual artist Bunky Echo Hawk, and stand-up comedian Ryan McMahon, contribute thoughtful and heartfelt pieces on their experiences growing up Indigenous, expressing them through such mediums as art, food, the written word, sport, dance, and fashion. Renowned chef Aaron Bear Robe, for example, explains how he introduces restaurant customers to his culture by reinventing traditional dishes. And in a dramatic photo spread, model Ashley Callingbull and photographer Thosh Collins reappropriate the trend of wearing 'Native' clothing.

Whether addressing the effects of residential schools, calling out bullies through personal manifestos, or simply citing hopes for the future, "Dreaming In Indian" refuses to shy away from difficult topics. Insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully honest, this book will to appeal to young adult readers. An innovative and captivating design enhances each contribution and makes for a truly unique reading experience.

http://richincolor.com/2015/11/native-american-voices/