Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York, NY: Little Brown.
Summary
Junior is a teenage Native American living in poverty with
his family on the Spokane reservation.
His life includes alcoholism, illness, and death, racism, bullying,
changing friendship roles, and finding love for the first time. He decides to
change his life’s path by going to the all white school in the next town. While
it doesn’t get better immediately it does allow him to gain a new perspective
to encountering problems in society. He meets a girl, begins dating, and
becomes the star of the basketball team. But none of it comes easily. The book
is told in first person and includes illustrations. Junior is a talented artist
so the drawings are a way to show his ability and get a peek as to what is
inside his head.
Commentary & Connections to Textbook
This is an excellent book written to show the boy’s point of
view as they go through their awkward years. The character of Junior is even
more different than his peers because of his disability; water on the
brain. He is a target for bullies even
on a reservation where everyone is looked down upon by those that live
outside. It deals with contemporary
issues like realistic fiction should. These issues are sensitive and too mature for early childhood. Things like sexuality and dealing forging your own path are common in YA literature and needed for YA audience. The intermix of cartoons is a nice
inclusion that helps keep the reader interested. I had read that it is on the
banned list on libraries around the country but I honestly didn’t find anything
that would be inappropriate for the intended audience ages 12 – 17 years old. I
gather that it is not to common in YA for boys to be the protagonist in coming
of age where action and adventure are not involved. Sherman Alexie does a nice
job with this novel.
Connections
Similar title: American Born Chinese by Gene Luene Yang
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