3rd – 5th Grade Literary Picks

Scroll through a variety of engaging works, from memoirs to graphic novels, on Maine Native History & Stories for elementary aged students.

Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses. This sweet, authentic story from a Maliseet mother and her Passamaquoddy husband includes backmatter about traditional basket making and a Wabanaki glossary.
The story of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt boyhood summers on Campobello Island, where he met and befriended Tomah Joseph, a Passamaquoddy elder and former chief.
The story of Tobias and his father, David Moses Bridges, to find the perfect birch and to gather spruce roots, cedar, and spruce gum to build a canoe in the “old ways.” In this book, David weaves Native American storytelling into the ancient art and spirituality of canoe making, including the legend of the partridge, the first canoe maker.
Focused on the heritage of the Micmac, this book is divided into four sections: Abundant Forest, Rivers of Fish; Family and Community; Traditional Micmac Skills; and Medicine and Magic & includes many illustrations.
The story of Kunu, who wants to make a pack basket like the other men on Indian Island but has trouble until his grandfather intervenes.
Big Thunder teaches his son, Little Thunder, about the important responsibility he has making thunder for his people. Little Thunder learns about his Mi’kmaw identity through his father’s teachings and his mother’s traditional stories.
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A graphic anthology of Native American trickster tales. Trickster brings together Native American folklore and the world of comics in 24 stories, telling cultural tales from across America.
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Stories of Maliseet heroes told through poetry.
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The author utilizes his memories and oral tradition to tell the story of the isolated Passamaquoddy village in Maine that he grew up in during 1940s and 1950s, and explains why preserving the Passamaquoddy traditions and language is so critical to his people’s survival in modern times.
Joseph Nicolar tells the story of his people from the first moments of creation to the earliest arrivals and eventual settlement of Europeans.
This work, from Molly Spotted Elk, captivates with tales of the Abnaki tribe.
This classic collection contains myths, legends, and folklore of the principal Wabanaki, or northeastern Algonquin Indians.
A narrative of Indigenous wisdom that addresses some of the crucial issues of our day, such as environmental protection and human rights. Excerpts from this piece can be used for discussion prompts in grades 4-5.