Recommended reading lists and books for Minnesota students to read outdoors

cover of the book Missing Cutthroats

Recommended Reading List from MinnAqua

Fiction and nonfiction books about Minnesota fish, aquatic invertebrates, water safety, habitats.


books from project learning tree

Recommended Reading List from Project Learning Tree

Fiction and nonfiction books about trees, forests, cultures and diversity, habitats, natural systems, biomes, energy.

Grades K-2
cover of the book Welcome to the Neighborhood
Grades 3-5
cover of the book The Three Questions
Grades 6-8
cover of the book Power and Energy

covers of books from project WILD book list

Recommended Reading List from Project WILD

View dozens of books organized by age level.


covers of the book PAX

Recommended Reading List from Get the Kids Outside

List contains dozens of books for children to read outdoors. Includes classics such as Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet and Jean Craighead George’s Julie of the Wolves, along with more recent award-winning books.

Organized by age level.


covers of the book A Letter for Bob

A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers

Lower elementary

Winner of the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award and a Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended Title.


covers of the book Biindegen

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome by Nancy Cooper

Lower elementary

With a blend of fact and fun, this salute to the industrious beaver is also an energetic celebration of Indigenous perspectives, languages, and diversity.


covers of the book How the birds got their songs

How the Birds Got Their Songs by Minnesota author Travis Zimmerman and Sam Zimmerman

Elementary

The Great Spirit challenges all the birds to a contest, and the gift of birdsong is born! This traditional story, told in both English and Ojibwe, explains bird behavior and where humans should go to hear the prettiest of birdsongs.


covers of the book I am Loved

I Am Loved by Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason

Lower elementary

Pakak is in a new foster home, with new people, new food, and new smells. Feeling alone and uncertain, Pakak finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his anaanattiaq, his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be.


covers of the book Mashkiki Road

Mashkiki Road: The Seven Grandfather Teachings by Elizabeth S. Barrett

Lower elementary

Three young cousins explore the woods in search of medicines that heal and purify, also gathering advice from wise beings who offer life lessons cherished through generations.


covers of the book the moccasins

The Moccasins by Earl Einarson

Lower elementary

This is an endearing story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother. Her gift of warmth and thoughtfulness helps her young foster children by encouraging self-esteem, acceptance, and love. Written as a simple story, it speaks of a positive foster experience.

Lesson plan based on the book


covers of the book The Secret Pocket

The Secret Pocket by Peggy Janicki

Elementary

The true story of how Indigenous girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive.


covers of the book We Dream Medicine Dreams

We Dream Medicine Dreams by Lisa Boivin

Lower elementary

Masterful prose and stunning collage weave a gentle story about animal teachings, the power of dreams, and the death of a loved one.

From Dene artist and bioethicist Lisa Boivin comes this healing story of hope, dreams, and the special bond between grandfather and granddaughter.


covers of the book When I Was Eight

When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton

Lower elementary

Nothing will stop a strong-minded young Inuit girl from learning how to read.

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