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Heartdrum

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Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, offers a wide range of innovative, unexpected, and heartfelt stories by Native creators, informed and inspired by lived experience, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes.

    About Heartdrum

    At powwows, "the Drum" often refers to both the instrument and the singers who surround it. The drumbeat evokes the heartbeat of the Native community, so the name Heartdrum is a tribute to that connection. Public, intertribal powwows are family-friendly, cultural events in which people of various sovereign Native Nations come together; non-Native guests are welcome, too. Likewise, the Heartdrum imprint will fully center intertribal voices and visions but will also welcome all young readers. The imprint will offer a wide range of heartfelt, innovative, groundbreaking, and unexpected stories from Native creators, informed and inspired by lived experience, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian County and on the strength of young Native heroes.

    A Message from Cynthia Leitich Smith

    Heartdrum Books

    Heartdrum books

    Check out Heartdrum titles!

    Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Educator Guide)

    Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (Educator Guide)

    Heroes of the Water Monster by Brian Young

    I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day (Educator Guide)

    Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith, MaryBeth Timothy (Educator Guide)

    Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa Hu (Educator Guide)

    Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert

    Jo Jo Makoons: Fancy Pants by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert

    Jo Jo Makoons: Snowy Day by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert

    Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers Illustrated by Julie Flett

    Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia L. Smith (Educator Guide)

    Rez Ball by Byron Graves

    The Sea in Winter by Christine Day (Educator Guide)

    The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson (Educator Guide)

    Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Educator Guide)

    Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

    We Still Belong by Christine Day

    Learn more about Heartdrum authors, illustrators, reviews, honors, and awards.

    Educator Guide

    Heartdrum Educator Guide
    Heartdrum Educator Guide

    Check out this informative educator guide for Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins. This educator guide is designed to pair with books published by Heartdrum, including Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, The Sea in Winter by Christine Day, Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young, Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert.

     

    Submitting to Heartdrum

    Heartdrum is a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, author-curated by Cynthia Leitich Smith and edited by Rosemary Brosnan.

    Our focus is on Indigenous stories that reflect Native people whose Nations are located within the borders of what’s now called the United States and Canada. In this, we are mindful and inclusive of intersectional identities and various modern settings.

    We are open to considering picture book, chapter book, middle grade novel, and young adult novel manuscripts as well as middle grade and young adult nonfiction manuscripts, and both poetry and graphic novel formats. Writing that reflects young protagonists and/or youth-related topics are welcome.

    Our emphasis will be on contemporary, near histories and/or futuristic works, including realistic fiction and genre fiction. Native and First Nations writers and writer-illustrators are welcome to query Cynthia here. Native and First Nations illustrators are also invited to reach out.

    Please consult standard industry manuscript format guidelines and the Heartdrum imprint submission guidelines before sending. We are centering contemporary and recent historicals, including genre fiction and nonfiction, as well as Native and First Nations writers and illustrators. Our focal formats are fiction and nonfiction picture books as well as middle grade and YA novels.

    The writing should be for young readers as an audience, not writing for adults that is inclusive of young characters and/or childhood reflections. You may want to read and study children’s-YA books by Native and First Nations book creators to study as mentor texts.

    Check out the Heartdrum Brochure from HarperCollins for about the imprint and a peek at winter-summer 2021 releases.

    If your manuscript is a fit, please type “Heartdrum” at the beginning of the subject line below, followed by your title and byline.

    For example: Heartdrum: Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

    In the body of the message, include your query for the manuscript (plot summary) along with a professional bio, including tribal affiliation(s), any website or social media links, and, if you’re an illustrator or author-illustrator, a link to your portfolio.

    Due to volume, queries or submissions of manuscripts and/or art that do not fall within the focus of the Heartdrum imprint will be deleted without a response.

    Send a Query to Heartdrum