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Traci Sorell

トレイシー・ソレル

Traci Sorell

Profile

Gender
Female
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, Spanish, Cherokee (learning)
Residence History
Northeastern Oklahoma (Cherokee Nation reservation) → Southern California (moved there as a teenager) → Area near Fort Gibson Lake (current residence)

Career

Occupations
Author, Attorney, Writer (policy/legal documents for Native Nations)
Active Years
1996-
Affiliations
Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2021–2022)
Memberships
Cherokee Nation (enrolled citizen)

Education

University of California, Berkeley
Native American Studies (major); Ethnic Studies (minor)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Period: 1990–1994
Year of Graduation: 1994
Country: United States
Lived in Madrid and taught English and Spanish during study
University of Arizona
American Indian Studies (concentration in Federal Indian Law & Policy)
Degree: Master of Arts
Period: 1995–1996
Year of Graduation: 1996
Country: United States
University of Wisconsin Law School
Law
Degree: Juris Doctor
Period: 1998–2001
Year of Graduation: 2001
Country: United States

Awards

Reading the West Book Award
2018
Work: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Organization: Reading the West
Result: Winner
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor)
2019
Work: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Organization: The Horn Book
Result: Honor
Orbis Pictus Award (Honor)
2019
Work: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Organization: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Result: Honor
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (Honor)
2019
Work: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
ALA Notable Children's Books (Selection)
2020
Work: At the Mountain's Base
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Result: Selection
American Indian Youth Literature Award
2020
Work: Indian No More
Organization: American Indian Library Association
Result: Winner
Audie Award for Young Listeners' Title (Finalist)
2020
Work: At the Mountain's Base (audio)
Organization: Audio Publishers Association
Result: Finalist
Odyssey Award (Honor)
2020
Work: At the Mountain's Base (audio)
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
ALA Notable Children's Recordings (Selection)
2022
Work: At the Mountain's Base / We Are Still Here! (recordings)
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Result: Selection
Carter G. Woodson Book Award
2024
Work: Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series
Organization: National Council for the Social Studies
Result: Winner
American Indian Youth Literature Award (Honor)
2024
Work: Contenders / Mascot / She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller
Organization: American Indian Library Association
Result: Honor

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

2018 Children's picture book (gratitude-themed)

A picture book that shares Cherokee practices of gratitude across seasons and communal life.

gratitudeCherokee cultureseasons and community

At the Mountain's Base

2019 Children's picture book (poetic, about war and family)

From the viewpoint of children with family in military service, it explores waiting and courage.

familymilitary familiescourage and waiting
Translations
  • Includes Cherokee-language text (title printed with Cherokee script)

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

2021 Children's biography

A biographical picture book highlighting the life and achievements of Cherokee aerospace engineer Mary Golda Ross.

women's achievementsSTEMIndigenous history

Indian No More

2019 Middle-grade fiction (collaborative work)

A middle-grade novel (co-authored) portraying a Cherokee family's experiences with assimilation policies and changes in status from a child's perspective.

assimilationidentityfamily history

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series

2023 Middle-grade / Nonfiction

Tells the stories of two Native baseball players and their World Series connections, blending sports history and Native experience.

sports historyNative achievementscommunity

Mascot

2023 Middle-grade / Nonfiction (co-authored)

Examines the history of sports mascots/imagery and their impact on Native communities (co-authored).

cultural representationracism and historysocial movements

Bibliography

  • We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
  • At the Mountain's Base
  • Pow Wow Day
  • Being Home
  • Clack, Clack! Smack! A Cherokee Stickball Story
  • Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
  • One Land, Many Nations: Volume 1
  • We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know
  • Indian No More
  • She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller
  • Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series
  • Mascot
  • Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal

Translations of Works

  • At the Mountain's Base (includes Cherokee-language text)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Culturally accurate and respectful narrationClear, accessible prose for childrenCombination of factual nonfiction and poetic expression
Recurring Motifs
Cherokee culture and traditionscommunity and familygratitude and seasonal cyclesIndigenous history and identity

Legacy

Traci Sorell has brought Cherokee culture and Indigenous perspectives into children's literature, earning recognition for culturally accurate works. Her multiple awards and selections make her an important voice in contemporary American children's publishing.

Academic Societies

  • American Indian Library Association (associated)

Trivia

  • Enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
  • Her family has lived in northeastern Oklahoma since 1838.
  • First person in her family to graduate from college.
  • Second language is Spanish; she is learning Cherokee.
  • Tulsa Artist Fellow in 2021 and 2022.
  • Seven of her books have been selected by the Junior Library Guild.