LIVE: “Bear’s Braid” Reaches Kids Around the Country — and the World

A North Dakota author battles bullying in our region and beyond, with the endorsement of a major human rights group.

We first had her on the show in September of 2021, shortly after North Dakota-based author and educator Joelle Bearstail’s children’s book “Bear’s Braid” was first published.

Since then, her book’s been sold and circulated in bookstores all around the U.S., online, and as far away as Australia.

The book’s written after bullying affected Bearstail’s  son, both as a way to combat student bullying, and also for kids to learn about the traditional culture and values of our region’s Three Affiliated Tribes, and how those inform and support the lives of their native classmates.

Recently, Bearstail’s book attracted the notice of the Anti-Defamation League.

The organization is one of the world’s top anti-hate groups, based in the United States.

They reviewed the book and added it to the list of their “Books Matter: Children’s Literature” List of resources for parents and educators to share with kids about human rights, and about “identity, diversity, bias, and social justice,” according to the ADL website.

Bearstail Zoomed in live to the Morning Show to talk about the book’s inclusion on the ADL’s list of recommended kids’ books, and what it’s like sharing the native culture of our region with people all around the world.

For more information, links to buy the book, and other children’s literature choices of the ADL:

https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resources-for-educators-parents-families/childrens-literature