Something is Shifting in Fiction
Readers today are making more deliberate choices about what stories they bring into their homes. According to Indian Country Today, a new Native Renaissance appears to be underway in publishing, with the presence of Native authors in children's books nearly doubling between 2018 and 2023. Right in the middle of that shift stands a quietly powerful series — the Chogan Native American Series Books by Larry Buege.
Who Is Behind the Chogan Series?
Larry Buege is not a career novelist by training. He is a retired physician assistant who lives with his wife along the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. According to his official website, his literary work has earned both regional and international awards — and his Chogan Native American Series is his most popular work.
What Makes the Chogan and the White Feather Book Stand Out?
The Chogan and the White Feather Book is the second installment in the series, following Chogan and the Gray Wolf. According to the book's dedicated website and its Amazon listing, here is what sets it apart:
• Dual purpose storytelling. It is described as a unique hybrid between fiction and non-fiction — adventure story and cultural education woven into one.
• Embedded learning portals. Each novel contains references to 5-8 stand-alone websites with real color photos demonstrating survival skills Chogan must learn — from preparing acorn cookies to building a wigwam frame using basswood fiber.
• Broad age appeal. The series carries a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 4.6 for independent reading, yet second graders have enjoyed Chogan and the Gray Wolf when read aloud by teachers — and adults have praised it just as enthusiastically on Amazon.
• Classroom adoption. According to Amazon's listing for Chogan and the Sioux Warrior, the Chogan series has been used in multiple classrooms as part of Native American studies programs.
Why These Books Matter Right Now?
The timing of the Chogan series matters beyond its storytelling. Indigenous Reads Rising — a platform dedicated to Native book advocacy — notes that books about Native culture serve a dual purpose: Native students see themselves represented in literature, while non-Native students gain a window into history and culture they rarely encounter in standard curricula.
The Chogan books do exactly this — but at an accessible reading level, with real cultural accuracy, and without the preachiness that sometimes accompanies educational fiction.
The Bottom Line
The Award Winning Fiction Books to Buy are quietly doing something the publishing industry is still catching up to — making indigenous storytelling engaging, educational, and genuinely fun to read. The Chogan and the White Feather Book is a perfect entry point. It is not just a story. It is a cultural experience that changes what readers — young and old — expect fiction to be able to teach them.
And that is exactly the kind of reading shift worth buying into.
