The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel about Arnold Spirit, Jr. (also known as Junior) and his life on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his struggles when he decides to go to school in Rearden. Junior suffers from hydrocephalus and faces frequent bullying while growing up. As he enters high school, he realizes that he wants a better education than can be given on the at the Reservation schools. When he makes this decision, he now has to face the loss of his best friend and fitting into an all -white school. During the school year he loses his sister, grandmother and a close friend of the family. Junior manages to (eventually) thrive at his new school, make friends, star on the varsity basketball team and even have a girlfriend. As the school year ends, Junior is faced with a summer on the Reservation where he feels he now belongs in two worlds.  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a modern realistic fiction novel with many autobiographical elements. Alexie pulled from his own childhood to write a beautiful coming of age story told from a young boy’s point of view while growing up on an Indian Reservation. Junior deals with racism both on the Reservation (he is a traitor for going to a school off the Reservation) and in Rearden. He paints a picture of what life, death, family and friendship is like on an Indian Reservation. He deals with the death of family members all as the result of alcoholism (drinking or the victim of someone who is drunk). His parents, especially his father, are alcoholics and as a result the family lives in poverty. This controversial book has so much to offer in lessons on racism, bullying, and growing up.

The audio version of this novel is outstanding and narrated by the Sherman Alexie. He brings the character of Junior to life.

Awards:

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (2008)

National Book Award for Young People Literature (2007)

Odyssey Award (2009)

Book Recommendations:

Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena because it also is a story of finding your identity in two different worlds.