Voices of the People

2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (NCSS & CBC)

"Best Middle Grade Book of the Year" by Kirkus Reviews

"Best Poetry Books of 2022" by School Library Journal

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award

Through poems that capture the essence of each person's life, acclaimed Native American writer Joseph Bruchac introduces readers to famous indigenous leaders from The Peacemaker in 1000 A.D. to modern day dancer Maria Tallchief and Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller. Each poem is illustrated by a modern-day tribally enrolled artist.

From Author Joseph Bruchac:
"We have chosen to accompany each poem with artwork from a contemporary Native American artist. Some of these artists are members of the same nation as the person featured in the biographical poem. Their works illustrate contemporary concepts and concerns-many of which are the same as or similar to those of their ancestors. Other poems are accompanied by a Native American artist from another nation whose work connects to the subject of the biography in an important way. Our hope is that these works of art will expand the reader's view of Native American art."

Illustrators Included:
Sonny Assu; Cannupa Hanska Luger; Jeffrey Gibson; Frank Buffalo Hyde; Rory Wakemup; Shan Goshorn; Jodie Herrera; Tony Tiger; Gregg Deal; Jordon Ann Craig; Alex Jacobs; Tom; Harjo; Greg Ballenger; Bobby C. Martin; Andy Everson; Steven Paul Judd; Norman Akers; Chris Pappan; Jeff Edwards; Robert I Mesa; Nocona Burgess; George Alexander; Debra Yepa-Pappan; Richard Glazer Danay; Melanie Yazzie; Shelley Niro; Zoe Urness; Marie Watt; J. Nicole Hatfield; Maria Tallchief

A tribally enrolled citizen of the Nulhegan Abenaki nation, Joseph Bruchac's poems, stories, and essays often reflect his deep interest in Native history and culture. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications, from Junior Scholastic and Parabola to The Paris Review and National Geographic and he has published over 170 books.