BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND HOMESCHOOLING
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Crabtree Native Nations of North America Series

Each book in this colorfully illustrated series focuses on geographical areas, language groups, important historical events, as well as village life and homes of the native nation it covers. . The information has been meticulously checked for cultural sensitivities by native writers and consultants. 32 pages each. For ages 8-14.

Famous Native North Americans by Bobbie Kaman and Molly Aloian. Crabtree, 2004. This book explores the lives of several Native Americans who have achieved greatness in history or legend. Among them are Hiawatha, Pocahontas, Sacagawea, Tecumseh, Chief Joseph, Cochise, Geronimo, and more. Clearly-written text augmented by maps, illustrations, historic photographs, and paintings help children understand the life stories of these people and the issues and challenges they faced. BTH-4389. $8.06-D

Life in a Longhouse by Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 2001. This book describes the people who lived in the northeastern woodlands who belonged to many nations and spoke many languages. This region's two major language groups were Iroquoian and Algonkian. Although these groups weren't always friendly toward one another,  they all shared a common way of life in a longhouse village.  All these nations lived in permanent homes and grew crops. They all belonged to clans and each longhouse was the home of a clan. Readers will learn about the fascinating lifestyle of these hunting and farming peoples who thanked the Earth each day for its many gifts. Topics include clan and village life;  how a longhouse was built;  life inside the longhouse;  gifts from the land;  making clothes from hide;  the roles of men, women, children, and elders; and  games and celebrations. BTH-4421. $8.06-D

Life in an Anishinabe Camp by Niki Walker.  Crabtree, 2003. This book portrays  the daily lives of the Anishinabe, or "first people", also known as the Chippewa or Ojibwa. Living in the Western Great Lakes region, the Anishinabe adapted to each season by changing camp locations to better suit the changing weather. The importance of family, community, and cooperation is apparent as the informative  text describes  clan and camp life;  camps for different seasons and activities;  how wigwams were built;  hunting and gathering;  clothing;  the roles of men and women; and  celebrations, games, and leisure. BTH-4424. $8.06-D

Life in a Plains Camp  by Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 2001. This book describes a nomadic community that based its livelihood on hunting buffalo. People who were constantly on the move depended on one another for happiness and support. Men, women, and children worked together to make sure the entire camp was fed and clothed. Beautiful illustrations portray the daily lives and tasks of the people of the plains and show their rich cultural heritage. Readers will learn  how buffalo meat was cured and how skins were tanned;  how a tipi was set up;  different types of plains clothing;  spiritual beliefs and family values;  the daily lives of men, women, children, and elders; and  leisure activities and celebrations. BTH-4422. $8.06-D

Life in a Pueblo by Amanda Bishop and Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 2003. This book describes the sprawling adobe structures known as pueblos which provided safe, communal dwellings for entire villages of Southwest peoples. Readers will  explore the daily lives of the groups known collectively as the pueblo peoples. They will learn about constructing a pueblo; daily interactions among a pueblo’s inhabitants; the roles of men, women, and children; farming practices and the farming lifestyle;  types of foods; and the spiritual beliefs of pueblo peoples.  BTH-4420. $8.06-D.

Life in the Far North by Bobbie Kalman and Rebecca Sjonger. Crabtree, 2004. This book combines striking images and easy-to-follow text to describe the Native nations that have lived in the northernmost part of present-day North America for thousands of years. The frigid climate has impacted every element of daily life for groups such as the Inuit, Yup’ik, and Inupiat. Students will learn about family life in these nations and the roles the family members played in working and playing. They will see how these native peoples used the natural resources available to them to hunt, build homes, and make tools in the absence of a lot of vegetation. You will see the various types of shelters the people built, and how the people transported themselves from place to place, and much more. BTH-4390. $8.06-D

Life of the California Coast Nations by  Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kaman. Crabtree, 2005. This book describes the lifestyles and traditions of the nations that lived along the coast of California during the seventeenth century. Children will discover how these native peoples used the area’s many natural resources to construct homes, canoes, rafts, clothing, and other everyday items. Easy-to-follow text and vibrant images will help children gain an understanding of these peoples and their ways of life. BTH-4391. $8.06-D

Life of the Navajo by Amanda Bishop and Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 2004. This book looks at this fascinating nation who call themselves Diné, or "the people," and describes the Navajo lifestyle, religion, and community as it existed when European explorers first arrived in the Southwest region of the United States. Readers will learn about  the daily lives of Navajo men, women, and children;  traditional beliefs, practices, and dwellings;  the role of animals in the Navajo lifestyle;  traditions of weaving, basket making, and silver smithing;  and  important historical events, including the Long Walk and the role of Navajo Code Talkers in World War II. BTH-4419. $8.06-D.

Life of the Powhatan by Rebecca Sjonger and Bobbie Kaman. Crabtree, 2005. This book focuses on  the many nations that formed the Powhatan confederacy. Vivid images and detailed text reveal what life was like for these Native peoples during the height of their power in the seventeenth century. Reades will learn about their nations and leaders, their families, how they depended upon nature, their farming villages, their permanent homes, their farming and gathering, their fishing and hunting, how they got their clothing from nature, the goods they made, how they prepared for adulthood, Pocahontas, and more. BTH-4417. $8.06-D.

Nations of the Plains by Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree, 2001. The plains region is a vast landscape which was home to many native nations. For hundreds of years, these peoples followed the giant, wandering herds of buffalo upon which they were dependent for food, clothing, tools, and shelter. This book, with its clear, informative text,  illustrations, and maps, helps describe all aspects of the life of native nations who lived on the plains.  Readers will learn about the  cultural differences among nations from different regions of the plains;  the differences between sedentary and nomadic peoples;  how the buffalo were hunted and used; the different types of homes the people lived in;  the importance of family life to these peoples;  the arrival of the European settlers and how it affected the life of native peoples; and the introduction of the horse and how it changed the way native people hunted and traveled. BTH-4423. $8.06-D.

Native Homes by Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree, 2001  This book covers many of the dwellings built by the native nations across the continent. Beautiful, detailed illustrations show the exteriors, interiors, and way of life in each lodge. You will see thatch homes and pueblos of the Southwest; plankhouses of the Northwest Coast; wigwams, longhouses, tipis; earth lodges, pit homes, hogans, and iglus. For ages 8-14. 32 pages. BTH-4382. $8.06-D

Nations of the Eastern Great Lakes by Rebecca Sjonger and Bobbie Kaman. Crabtree, 2005. This book describes the many Native nations that lived in the eastern Great Lakes region in the seventeenth century. Beautiful images depict the daily lives of these peoples, including housing, transportation, and methods of finding food. You will also see how  European contact changed the lives of these nations and how these peoples live today. Read about  the Haudenosaunee confederacy, the Wendat confederacy, and the other nations and confederacies in the region; family relations and clan organization; farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering techniques;  trade between nations and the use of wampum; and  contact with Europeans and their impact on the lives of the Native people. BTH-4418. $8.06-D.

Nations of the Northwest Coast by Kathryn Smithyman and Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree, 2004. The Tlingit, the Haida, and the Kwakiutl are among the hundreds of separate groups of Native peoples who have lived on the Northwest Coast of North America for thousands of years. Readers will learn how they gathered food and other resources from the forests, rivers, and ocean. The text clearly describes the lifestyle, beliefs, and social structure of these peoples. Topics covered in this book  include the organization of families, clans, and moieties;  dwellings used in different seasons and locales;  canoes and other items carved from cedar;  trade between various groups of peoples;  and  the impact of the arrival of the Europeans. BTH-4426. $8.06-D

Nations of the Southwest by Amanda Bishop and Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 2003. The Southwest region was home to some of the earliest inhabitants of North America. The diverse landscapes of deserts, mountains, and rivers provided food, shelter, and raw materials to ancient cultures as well as later groups, such as the Apache, Comanche, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, and many others. This book uses vivid images and detailed text to describe their homes, their lifestyles, how they gathered and cultivated wild plants and crops, their arts and crafts, their family relationships and organization, and their relationships with Europeans and Americans.  BTH-4416. $8.06-D

Nations of the Western Great Lakes by Kathryn Smithyman and Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree, 2003. The Western Great Lakes region was once home to many Algonkian-speaking nations, including the Anishinabe, Menominee, Sauk, and Fox. For hundreds of years, these peoples thrived in the Great Lakes woodlands, relying on nature’s bounty for their survival. This  book describes cultural similarities and differences between these nations, their homes, hunting and farming practices, and the importance of family. BTH-4425. $8.06-D

The rest of this page is still under construction.
 If you need information on a particular native nation not listed here, please email us.

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