Middle Grade: 2024 New Releases
This book list contains middle grade books published in 2024, exploring a wide variety of genres and issues that will strengthen classroom and library collections. In The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry, readers are transported to a nineteenth-century lighthouse on Lake Superior to follow a French-Ojibwe orphan in her search for belonging, while Stealing Little Moon examines the harrowing legacy of residential schools through the true story of one of their victims. Check out these books and many more in the list below.

Indigenous Cultures Today: Protecting Native Families and Practicing Cultural Traditions
Author
Cayla Bellanger DeGroat (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)
Summary
On June 15, 2023, Native American Nations celebrated a victory. The Supreme Court of the United States decided to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), first passed in 1978, which helps stop Native children from being taken from their homes. The US government had taken Native children away from their loved ones before, forcing them to go to boarding schools or to be adopted by non-Native families. But Native American peoples have always shown great strength and courage when it comes to protecting their children and loved ones. Learn how advocates for Native American rights are protecting their families and educating children about their cultural traditions—including languages, religions, ceremonies, and values.

Native Mascots, Myths and Misrepresentation: Battling Indigenous Stereotypes
Author
Cayla Bellanger DeGroat (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)
Summary
Representation takes many forms, from who is elected or appointed to positions in government to the characters and images used in movies, books, and sport teams. However, not all representation is the same: negative stereotypes and language affect how we view and treat one another, and inaccurate portrayals of Native cultures are extremely hurtful. In North America, there is a long history of unfair representation of Native Americans, including harmful mascots, racist place names, and incorrect media depictions. By learning more about the dangers of misrepresentation, we can move toward a more just, equitable future for everyone.

We Shall Not Be Denied: A Timeline of Voting Rights and Suppression in America
Author
Cayla Bellanger DeGroat (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)
Summary
Throughout the history of the US, many Americans from underrepresented groups have fought, suffered, or died for the right to vote. Their hard work and courage has allowed many to gain the right to vote. But challenges remain and affect many voters. In this book, learn more about voting and understand why the right to vote is important. Even if you are not old enough to vote, you can make a difference. Get informed about our country’s leaders, make your voice heard, and spread the word about the importance of voting!

Buffalo Dreamer
Author
Violet Duncan (Cree/Taino)
Illustrator
Eloy Bida (descendant of Indigenous people in Brazil)
Summary
Summer and her family always spend relaxed summers in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom’s family lives. But this year is turning out to be an eye-opening one: first, Summer beginst to dream of the real-life residential schools that tore Native children from their families, and then she learns that unmarked children’s graves have been discovered at the school her grandpa attended as a child. Now more folks are speaking up about their harrowing experiences at these places, including her grandfather. When the town holds a rally, Summer is proud to take part to acknowledge the painful past and speak of her hopes for the future, and anxious to find someone who can fill her in on the source of her unsettling dreams.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry
Author
Anna Rose Johnson (Sault Ste Marie Chippewa)
Summary
Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor’s child should be) has been frightened of the water ever since she lost her father at sea. But with no one else to care for her, she’s sent to foster with the Martins—a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior. Although Lucy struggles to fit in with the Martins, life at the lighthouse has one major advantage: It’s near the site of a famous shipwreck, a shipwreck that went down with a treasure her father wanted more than anything. If Lucy can find that treasure—a priceless ruby necklace—won’t it be like having Papa back again, just a little bit? But someone else is hunting for the treasure, too. And as the lighthouse company becomes increasingly skeptical that the Martins can juggle Lucy and their duties, Lucy and the Martin children will need to find the necklace quickly—or they may not have a home at all.

Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of American Indian Residential Schools
Author
Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Ponca)
Summary
Little Moon There Are No Stars Tonight was four years old when armed federal agents showed up at her home and took her from her family. Under the authority of the government, she was sent away to a boarding school specifically created to strip her of her Ponca culture and teach her the ways of white society. Little Moon was one of thousands of Indigenous children forced to attend these schools across America and give up everything they’d ever known: family, friends, toys, clothing, food, customs, even their language. This book examines the miseducation and mistreatment of Indigenous kids, while celebrating their strength, resiliency, and courage—and the ultimate failure of the United States government to erase them.

Lei and the Invisible Island
Author
Malia Maunakea (Native Hawaiian)
Summary
This sequel follows Lei after the events of Lei and the Fire Goddess. Lei is exhausted after saving Kaipo—her best friend and ancestral guardian—from the traps of Pele the Fire Goddess, and saving her Tūtū’s house from being destroyed by lava. But rest is not on the horizon for Lei because Kaipo’s aumakua pendant is missing. If they don’t retrieve it, Kaipo will disintegrate. Lei and Kaipo team up with a talking bat and fashionista Kaukahi to retrieve Kaipo’s pendant before it’s too late. The journey, however, takes them to an invisible island where they discover a threat greater than the lost pendant: evil spirits who are out for blood.

Anang and the Ribbon Skirt
Author
Cameron Mukwa (Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa)
Summary
Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by women in the Anishinaabe tradition, for an upcoming powwow. Anang is two-spirit and nonbinary and doesn’t know what others will think of them wearing a ribbon skirt, but they’re determined to follow their heart’s desire. Anang sets off to gather the materials needed to make the skirt and turns to those around them—their family, their human and turtle friends, the crows, and even the lake itself—for help. And maybe Anang will even find a new confidence within themself along the way.

Jo Jo Makoons: Rule School
Author
Dawn Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe)
Illustrator
Tara Audibert (Wolastoqey)
Summary
In this fourth book of the Jo Jo Makoons series, Jo Jo and her classmates are excited that the Elders’ Tribal Center has changed the rules for the talent show to invite the whole tribe to perform. But the rules have also changed in Jo Jo’s classroom, where instead of their teacher, they have a substitute. Since Jo Jo has a knack for being helpful, she puts her mind to helping her classmates decide on their talents—but can she manage to follow the substitute teacher’s rules?

Red Bird Danced
Author
Dawn Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe)
Illustrator
Carla Joseph (Cree)
Summary
Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before. As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.

Find Her
Author
Ginger Reno (Cherokee Nation)
Summary
Five years, three months, and twelve days—that’s how long Wren’s mother has been missing. She’s one of over five hundred Native Americans missing in Oklahoma alone. Wren refuses to give up her search, and an opportunity to find lost pets seems like a real way to hone her detective skills. But everything changes when one of the missing pets is found badly hurt—on purpose. With help from an unlikely friend, Wren vows to unmask the abuser. If she can do this, maybe she can do the same for her mother’s case.

Blue Stars, Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem
Author
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation) and Kekla Magoon
Illustrator
Molly Murakami
Summary
When cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn move to Urbanopolis to live with their activist grandma, they get off to a rocky start. Outgoing Riley misses her Muscogee cousins but is sure that she and Maya will be instant BFFs, while introvert Maya misses her parents and just wants some space to herself. Just when they start to feel at home, their school culture is threatened by an influential foe in disguise. Joining student council feels like a way to help, so both cousins toss their hats in the ring for sixth-grade class president. But when they realize what they’re up against—money, power, and lies—they quickly shift from competition to cooperation, joining forces as superheroes. Riley is savvy with people; Maya is a whiz with gadgets. In no time, this dazzling duo is off to save the day!

On a Wing and a Tear
Author
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)
Summary
Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since their families moved in together. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree. A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out. Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.

Tana Cooks With Care
Author
Stacy Wells (Choctaw Nation)
Illustrator
Maria Gabriela Gama
Summary
It’s time for the second-grade school play, and everyone gets a part! There’s just one problem. Tana’s good friend Ana is nervous about auditioning. As Tana looks for ways to help her friend, she cooks to show that she cares. Will she find the winning recipe to keeping Ana calm and confident?

A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems
Author
Brian Young (Navajo)
Summary
The kids in this collection of short stories each have a minor superpower they’re learning to live with. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays—another can always tell whether an avocado is perfectly ripe, and another can hear the thoughts of the animals in the pet store! Each kid learns to “own” their unique power that contributes to their individuality, allows them to find their place in the world, and shows them a potential they might not have otherwise imagined. Includes a short story by Brian Young (Navajo).

Little by Little: You Can Change the World
Author
Sonya Misipawistik Ballantyne (Cree Nation)
Illustrator
Rhael McGregor (Métis) and Toben Raciot
Summary
Michael might be young, but he’s got a big heart and a strong sense of right and wrong. He knows it’s right to help people when they need it—but what can he do when so many people need help? When Michael finds out about an upcoming youth conference, he sees his chance. But when he gets to the conference, he’s the youngest person there! And the speaker on stage is saying things about his community that aren’t true. Will Michael be brave enough to use his voice to stand up for what he knows is right?

The Case of the Pilfered Pin: A Mighty Muskrats Mystery
Author
Michael Hutchinson (Swampy Cree from Misipawistik Cree Nation)
Summary
The Windy Lake First Nation’s lands have been shared with cottagers for fifty years, but no one can agree on where the reserve land ends. The only thing that can prove the boundary is a steel surveyor’s pin with the borders of the Windy Lake reserve etched into its head. When the Mighty Muskrats hear that the pin was stolen years ago—and that it is connected to their grandpa’s mysterious past—they make it their mission to find the missing pin and prove that the land belongs to their people. But the mystery gets tense when Grandpa himself becomes a suspect.

Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential School
Author
Agnes Jack (Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation)
Summary
This book features written testimonials from thirty-two individuals who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The school was one of many infamous residential schools that operated from 1893 to 1979. The storytellers remember and share with us their stolen time at the school.

Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival
Author
Trina Rathgeber (Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation)
Illustrator
Alina Pete (Little Pine First Nation) Jillian Dolan
Summary
In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family’s trapline in northern Canada. This book tells the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family and uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills, and resilience to find her way home.

The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage
Author
David A. Robertson (Norway House Cree)
Summary
Eleven-year-old Alex Robinson is a talented hockey player, but his life changes when his family relocates to the city for his father’s new job. Alex doesn’t feel like he fits in at school because his fellow classmates don’t understand his Indigenous culture. Alex is misunderstood, and he gets in trouble when he shows a simple gesture to his teacher, which is meant to be a sign of respect. When Alex joins his local hockey team, the Kodiaks, he’s undeniably one of the best players, but his Indigenous heritage is a target for bullying. While balancing wanting to fit in with embracing his identity, Alex must learn to trust that his teammates will stick up for him against other teams and their antagonistic comments.

The Sleeping Giant: The Misewa Saga, Vol. 5
Author
David A. Robertson (Norway House Cree)
Summary
In this fifth book in the Indigenous fantasy series The Misewa Saga, Eli, Morgan and Emily embark on their most dangerous mission yet, to save the kidnapped animal beings of Ministik. But before they can reach the heavily guarded Land of the Sleeping Giant, Eli must rally more help, not just from old friends, but from surprising new allies. And he must rely on a new way to travel: on the back of the leader of the Bird Warriors himself, Pip. Together they will journey across the North Country, on a mission to reconnect the Bird Warriors, as well as confront old enemies. But even as he must fight for his life—and the lives of his friends and new family—Eli must also come to terms with his newfound knowledge: What does it mean that he is only part human?
Conclusion
The 2024 middle grade titles included in this list are crucial additions for educators to include in their libraries and classrooms. In their pages, Native and non-Native students will have the opportunity to see and relate to Native characters in contemporary and fantastical settings, learn about Indigenous traditions and cultures, and understand the historical injustices that Native communities have faced, leading to poignant and rich discussions in schools and libraries.