What are some good books with a Native American main character?
I'm trying to select books from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list, but I can stray for a few of the books, which is possibly what I will haev to do for this task.
Thanks!

Well, I don't think its on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list (though it is one of my favorites...), but Cynthia ok'd using Eclipse from the Twilight Saga since Jacob is Native American (he's Quiluete). I would think it'd be okay to use New Moon and Breaking Dawn as well (probably not Twilight itself though, he's not really a main character yet in that one... :)

Perhaps any books by Sherman Alexie. One I know that people have raved about is Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven . or perhaps Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. I'm not sure if either of those are on the list.

Also I found a good list:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/203.N...

Try something by Sherman Alexie. I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and really enjoyed it. The stories are not exactly uplifting, but they are honest.


Other options:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee An Indian History of the American West
The Education of Little Tree

Unfortunately, I don't think any of these appear in 1001 Books...

ugh, my mind spaced. clearly Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper is on the list AND about Native Americans.
Thanks for linking that list, it helped a lot!

No problem! Glad you could find something to help you tackle that list! :)

The Tony Hillerman books might work. You might check and see if Don Coldsmith's Spanish Bit series qualifies. There are a ton of them, and they are mostly fairly short and read fast.

I completely forgot about The Last of the Mohicans too! I might have to revise my choice... :)

I would like to read a book about the Navajo Code Talkers and their role in WWII. Can anyone recommend a specific book, perhaps from this list?
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq12-1...

Edit: Oh and non-fiction

Probably the most famous, or recognizable is Windtalkers

Ah, sorry, I left out that I was looking for non-fiction.

A good friend of mine highly recommended The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, so I'm going to be reading that one.

Jamie wrote: "Perhaps any books by Sherman Alexie. One I know that people have raved about is Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven . or perhaps Walk Two Moons by [auth..."

Wow, Jamie. We were on the same wavelength for sure. We must've been typing our responses at the same time.

The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven both by Barbara Kingsolver (these could be up for debate but i consider Turtle a main character)
just about anything by Tony Hillerman
Morning Girl by Michael Dorris

Solar Storms by Linda Hogan is a wonderful book.

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich is on the 1001 Books list. Any book by her will work, as she is Native American.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water A Novel
The Jailing of Cecelia Capture
The woman who owned the shadows
The Grass Dancer

Black Elk Speaks Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
Lakota Woman
The Roots of Ticasuk An Eskimo Woman's Family Story

Mean Spirit
A Cold Day for Murder
Blackening Song
The Eagle Catcher
Ravenmocker

The People Shall Continue
The Middle Five Indian Schoolboys of the Omaha Tribe
Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions
Sundown
Winter in the Blood

Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko.

Leslie wrote: "Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich is on the 1001 Books list. Any book by her will work, as she is Native American."

Leslie answered with a vote for Louise Erdrich before I chimed in on this task, so I'm seconding her recommendation here. :-)

One of my favorites from her is The Beet Queen A Novel which I think is part of a trilogy, but I read on it's own first (out of order) and didn't have a problem with it.

I've actually only read one book by Erdrich so far (Tales of Burning Love), but I'm looking forward to trying another one out for this task! The Master Butcher's Singing Club is on my shelf right now, so that will likely be the one, even though it doesn't really look like it has a Native American theme like lots of her other books. Since she's a Native American author, it counts regardless.

I'm probably being really dense here and this is a question I feel I really should know the answer to but what is the definition of a Native American?

Alice wrote: "I'm probably being really dense here and this is a question I feel I really should know the answer to but what is the definition of a Native American?"

This article might help narrow it down for you - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_amer...

They are considered the people that were in the Americas before Europeans settled.

El wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'm probably being really dense here and this is a question I feel I really should know the answer to but what is the definition of a Native American?"

This article might help narr..."

Thanks El. Unfortunately the link to wiki isn't working! How do you know if someone is from a Native American group is my thinking. I'm probably making this more complicated than it really is aren't i?!

There's a period at the end of the link... Once you've clicked it, go up to the URL bar and take the period off the end, then you'll be able to get to the page.

Alice wrote: "El wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'm probably being really dense here and this is a question I feel I really should know the answer to but what is the definition of a Native American?"

This article migh..."

Whoops, what the --!! Let's try that again...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_amer...

You can also do a search for Native American authors, and then you'll know exactly which tribe they are with, or descended from.

Leslie wrote: "I've actually only read one book by Erdrich so far (Tales of Burning Love), but I'm looking forward to trying another one out for this task! The Master Butcher's Singing Club is on my shelf right n..."

LOL The Master Butchers Singing Club is what I have slated for this task too. Great minds DO think alike. :-)

I liked 1,000 White Women, The Journals of Mae Dodd which could also work as Alternative History.

Patricia wrote: "I liked 1,000 White Women, The Journals of Mae Dodd which could also work as Alternative History."

Patricia, I agree, that was a fantastic book! I encourage anyone who hasn't decided on a selection for the Native Americans or Alternative History tasks to read this.

Would The Wild Girl A Novelby Jim Fergus work for this task? Here in England this books is called The Last Apache Girl. I don't like it when they change titles! Grrrr!

Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O'Dell

Beautiful book about an Indian girl. Had to read it in school. I might read it for this task or the required reading one.

Tanja wrote: "Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O'Dell

Beautiful book about an Indian girl. Had to read it in school. I might read it for this task or the required reading one."

One of my all-time favorites! I agree that it's a beautiful book and I'd probably reread it if I weren't trying so hard to read books from my TBR shelf.

OH MAN Island of the Blue Dolphins is fantastically amazingly awesome and every other word that means "great" but is just redundant.

Amanda wrote: "OH MAN Island of the Blue Dolphins is fantastically amazingly awesome and every other word that means "great" but is just redundant."

Wow, that's quite an endorsement. I read it in sixth grade English and didn't care for it--I think because we had to dissect it in a very superficial way (you know, vocab, figurative language, that sort of thing.) I may have to give it another shot.

Took me long enough to remember the title! I think I shall definitely re-read this one. So long Last of the Mohicans :P Nostalgia wins.

Katie wrote: "Amanda wrote: "OH MAN Island of the Blue Dolphins is fantastically amazingly awesome and every other word that means "great" but is just redundant."

Wow, that's quite an endorsement. I read it in ..."

I had to read this one in fifth grade and I didn't like it either. I am thinking about re-reading it for the school assigned reading task. I am looking at Walk Two Moons for the Native American book task. Sharon Creech was one of my favorite author's in Middle School, but I never read this one! I am really excited to see how it turns out!!!

If you're still looking for a book to read for this task, I would recommend The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I finished it today, and it was REALLY GOOD. It was an easy YA read—funny, with a bunch of cute pictures (the main character likes to draw cartoons to express himself, so...). Plus, it really gave me an insight into the culture on a reservation from an author who has been there. I'm really glad I read it.

Storyteller by Leslie Marmon Silko

Rebecca wrote: "Storyteller by Leslie Marmon Silko"

Love that book.

Sara ♥ wrote: "If you're still looking for a book to read for this task, I would recommend The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I finished it today, and it was REALLY ..."

Thanks Sara! I was wondering what I would read for this task. I just requested this online from my local library!

I was wondering if Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George would work. It involves an Eskimo girl. When I was still teaching, several teachers had recommended it to me but I never got around to it. Or do I need to stick to the more conventional Native American tribes? I'm sure I can find another place for this book though if it's a no go for this task :)

edit: I can probably go with a book I read and really enjoyed in high school called When The Legends Die by Hal Borland. Looks like the public library has it. I can fit Julie in some place else.

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And since I did see several mentions to it, I'll add that I did read/listen to Island of the Blue Dolphins more recently (as possible book for my kids to read). I liked it in grade school when I read it and fell in love with it as an adult.

A lot of people already suggested Sherman Alexie. Anything he writes is about a Native American. They mentioned some good titles here. I liked The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Flight A Novel, and Indian Killer.

If you are looking to go back in history books by People of the Mist by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and her husband Michael Gear are really good. I read a few, one I would recommend People of the Mist. But there is a whole series of these.

I also liked the trilogy by Linda Lay Shuler, She Who Remembers, Voice of the Eagle and Let the Drum Speak.

I would love to recommend the following two books both by Joseph Boyden:



Three Day Road was the most incredible book. The F2F book group I belong to did this book 2 years ago. Through Black Spruce is the second book, and while not a series, some characters from the first are referenced in the second book. TBS also won the Giller Prize for fiction ($50,000) here in Canada, last year.

I hope you'll give them serious consideration. They are worth it!

Plus another good author of a series of books (about an unspecified nation) is Don Coldsmith's Spanish Bit series. Plus he wrote a stand-alone called Runestone about the early Viking presence in North America and their relationship with the native people.

Here's a book that would fit several challenges: "Bear Daughter" by Judith Berman. It fits 5.1 (Daughter); 10.3 (Bear); and 10.6 "Native American" : the novel is a fantasy incorporating Native American myths; I believe the lead character is a Native American female.

Is Maya Angelou classed as Native American?

Alice wrote: "Is Maya Angelou classed as Native American?"

Absolutely not. She's an African American, but not Native American. Very different.

I recommend One Thousand White Women The Journals of May Dodd

My book club read this a few months ago, and many of us loved it.