The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, New York City, 2009. ISBN: 978-0316013697

Summary

Fourteen year old Junior lives with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  He doesn’t really fit in and gets called names for his speech impediment. Junior uses his artistic talent to explain what he means to say, and how he feels.  While his life with his parents on the reservation isn’t perfect, it’s all he’s ever known.

That all changes when one of his teachers, Mr P, tells Junior that he should leave and go to a school off the reservation.  While Junior’s best friend, Rowdy, hates him for this, Junior’s parents realize this is the best option for their son.

Junior decides to go to Reardan, a rich school miles away from the reservation. Most of the student body is white, and the only other Indian in school is the stereotypical mascot.  Junior knows he’s going to have a hard time fitting in with all of the popular, white kids: on the first day, his classmates laugh at his name and voice, and almost start a fight with him.  But with the help of his family and his cartoons, Junior will try to find his own place in the world.

Critical Evaluation

The Absolutely True Diary is a hilarious and genuine story.  Junior’s commentary and outlook on the world keeps readers laughing and turning the pages, while the cartoons give the novel a comic book feel.   Readers of all backgrounds can sympathize and understand Junior’s feelings of being an outsider, in both his school and in his community.  The book also gives readers the chance to observe what life is really like on a reservation without ever coming across as too preachy or depressive.  While several tragedies do happen to Junior and his family, he is quick to bounce back with his trademark humor and cartoons.

The book has been banned and challenged for its sexual situations and language. However, the crude humor and foul language do belong to the narrative voice of a fourteen year old boy, and is necessary to the story.   Despite the challenges and censorships, The Absolutely True Diary makes a great addition to libraries for its humor and for its crossover appeal.

Reader’s Annotation

Junior is finally getting off the Indian reservation he’s known forever and going to a white, rich school—where the only other Indian is the mascot.

About the Author

“Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, a PEN/Hemingway Citation for Best First Fiction, and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Sherman Alexie is a poet, short story writer, novelist, and performer.

He has published 24 books including What I've Stolen, What I've Earned, poetry, from Hanging Loose Press; Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories, from Grove Press; and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a novel from Little, Brown Books for Children.

He has also recently published the 20th Anniversary edition of his classic book of stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Smoke Signals, the movie he wrote and co-produced, won the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, Alexie grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Alexie has been an urban Indian since 1994 and lives in Seattle with his family.”

 (Biography.  Retrieved October 6^th, 2014 from http://fallsapart.com/press/)

Genres

Multicultural

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

Cultural History

Social Science

Booktalking Ideas

1: The similarities between Junior’s story and the author’s life.

2:  Junior’s life on the reservation—how different from your life?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Violence

Language

Sexual situations

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included The Absolutely True Diary for its humor, illustrations, and for its crossover appeal.