Young Adult: Reckoning with History
Young adult readers are often reckoning with history, whether it’s their own personal history or the larger history of their culture, country, or faith. Confronting these histories is often intersectional, as people and characters face realizations in their own life only to find it mirrored on a larger scale. Seeing their experiences on the page is validating and meaningful.
There are two sets of connected books on this list. Hearts Unbroken and Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith are set in the same universe as Rain is Not My Indian Name. Hearts Unbroken and Harvest House are narrated by a sister and brother, respectively, taking place a short time span apart. Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed also take place in the same family and universe, with more of a time gap and the narrator shifting from an aunt to her niece.
All the titles on this list demonstrate how reckoning with history is a long process. Reexamining history, personal or large scale, is an event that will likely be repeated throughout one’s life and will affect family members in different ways.
Hearts Unbroken
Author
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)
Summary
Louise Wolfe starts her senior year of high school by dumping her boyfriend after he makes disparaging remarks about Native peoples. With a positive mindset, Lou sets out to finish high school strong by working on the school newspaper, spending time with friends, and supporting her brother as he plays the Tin Man in the school’s musical production of “The Wizard of Oz.” But not everyone in their Kansas town supports the musical director’s inclusive casting choice. As animosities rise to the surface with anonymous threats and a “Parents Against Revisionist Theater” group, Lou’s family, friends, and town choose whether or not to reckon with a difficult history.
Harvest House
Author
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)
Summary
Hughie Wolfe is excited to be part of a haunted house in his Kansas town, until he learns a stereotype-fueled “Indian graveyard” and “Indian maiden” are a leading feature. Adding to the spookiness is the strange happenings that have occurred where the haunted house is staged: young women and girls, especially Indigenous women, have been reporting stalking behaviors by a strange man. Dogs are skittish, wild animals are acting out of sorts, and everyone seems to be on edge. Hughie and his friends set out to solve the mystery of what is really going on and change the haunted house from the horror of stereotypes to good ol’ spooky fun.
Firekeeper’s Daughter
Author
Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)
Summary
As a mixed-heritage teen, Daunis lives on the border between two worlds. When she witnesses her friend’s murder, she’s pulled into an FBI investigation about a new drug on the Sault St. Marie reservation. While dealing with more deaths, a charming undercover agent, and still trying to stay connected to her community, Daunis uncovers new information on her own personal history as well as the history of her people. This thriller is steeped in the value of Indigenous community and knowledge.
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Author
Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)
Summary
Perry Firekeeper Birch plans to spend her summer fishing with her beloved dog, but costly Jeep repairs require her to join the Tribal Intern program instead. Working with the quirky Tribal Museum leader, Perry learns about the NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) and begins seeing all the ways in which systems operate to avoid returning Indigenous artifacts and ancestors to their Nations. With a family member accused of murder and the with the issues of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirits hitting close to home, Perry sets out to right several wrongs with a heist.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
Author
Jen Ferguson (Michif/Métis)
Summary
Lou’s summer working at her family’s ice cream shack on the Canadian prairies would be a lot simpler if she wasn’t working with the guy she recently broke up with or her estranged former best friend, King. Lou’s biological father’s release from prison further complicates her summer, forcing her to reckon with her family’s history to save their beloved ice cream shack.
Conclusion
Reckoning with history is an event likely to be repeated throughout readers’ lives. These titles offer insights in confronting the difficulties of one’s past, whether that difficulty lies in a personal history or a large-scale one.
About the Author
Christine Hartman Derr
Christine Hartman Derr is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. A current student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program, she enjoys writing picture books, middle grade fiction, and young adult fiction. Her primary goal is to contribute to increasing Native representation and share the Cherokee language through her fiction. She runs the blog Paw Prints in the Sink, is a regular contributor for Knoxville Moms, and has written articles for regional publications. Christine is from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, but currently resides in East Tennessee on ancestral Cherokee land with her spouse, children, and a motley crew of lovable pets. She was honored to be selected for the We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive in 2022. She won the VCFA-WCYA Summer-Fall 2022 Revisionary Award, the VCFA-WCYA Winter 2023 Candlewick Picture Book Award, and was chosen as a recipient for the 2022 Walter Grants for Native creators from We Need Diverse Books. Wado!
