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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults brings Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation.


  • Interest Level Grades 7-12
  • Reading Level Grade 8

“Both an urgent, essential call to action and an uplifting love letter.”
–Kirkus Reviews

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide… Read More →

  • Lexile: 980
  • Dewey: 305.8
  • Copyright: 2022

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Praise for Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults is my new favorite book! What a great way for young people (and anyone, really) to learn about our healing medicines. Chii miigwech!”
—Angeline Boulley, #1 NYT Bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter
“This beautiful, imaginative revisioning is a gift to our children that teaches them how to follow the path of our ancestors.”
—Diane Wilson, Author of The Seed Keeper
“Gray Smith’s adaptation makes this visionary exploration of Indigenous connections to the land, to plants and to storytelling and story-making accessible to a whole new readership and hopefully will inspire young people to rise to the challenges of the Climate Crisis."
–Jeffrey Canton, Children’s Book Columnist, The Globe and Mail
“A book that is entirely in a class of its own, this belongs in every collection for teens.”
—School Library Journal
“What a gift this adaptation is for all of us! Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhardt have crafted a beautiful book─inviting reflection, conversation and activism that I hope young people will read and share in homes, communities, classrooms and libraries across the globe.”
—Traci Sorell, Two-Time Sibert Honor Winning Author
“Readers will feel as if they are in conversation with a caring, respected expert guide who offers a hopeful, nourishing vision. Both an urgent, essential call to action and an uplifting love letter.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Smith smartly streamlines language while staying true to the narrative’s core concepts by adding brief sidebars that explain featured terminology, pose reflection questions, and highlight important passages, inviting collaborative discussion and acting as a call to action.”
—Publishers Weekly
  • Green Earth Book Award, Longlist
  • Kirkus Reviews, Best Teen Books of the Year
  • NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
  • Parents Magazine, Best Kids’ Books
  • Publishers Weekly, Best Book of the Year
  • Riverby Award
  • Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award for Children’s Literature

Resources

Banner for the New York Public Library Event

Videos

The Launch Event

Watch the launch event of Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults at the New York Public Library

The Creation Process

Watch Monique, Robin, and Nicole talk about the process of creating Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults

Updated April 2023