THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN BOY
BOOK RATIONALE
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Boy, Sherman Alexie, 2007
Intended Audience
This novel tells the story of Junior, who has primarily grown up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. As Junior grows older, he develops a determination towards making the best of his life and leaves his dismayed school to attend an all-white high school where there is only one other Indian kid in attendance.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Boy is a novel that is best suited for readers at the high school level and beyond. Though the book is fairly easy to understand, some themes and events, based on true events, are such that require maturity that is most likely to
…show more content…
An outcast on his reservation, Junior has just one friend, Rowdy. When Junior decides to go to Reardan, a white school 20 miles away, everyone on the reservation declares him an apple (red on the outside but white on the inside) and Rowdy vows never to talk to him again.
At the new school, Junior is treated exactly as he was on the reservation. While he tries to work his way up the social ladder both at Reardan and back on the reservation, he surprises everyone when he tries out for the basketball team and makes varsity as a freshman. He is put to the ultimate test when his team plays the reservation's, with the star player being none other than his ex-best friend, Rowdy.
This coming-of-age story is paired with cartoons that allow the reader to see inside Junior's mind to understand his emotions and opinions through both difficult and fun times. This interesting book explains how hard it is growing up on a reservation and how much more challenging it becomes when Junior decides to go to Reardan. Seeing the reactions of those he considered friends and others on the reservation is heart-breaking, but Alexie's humor and funny cartoons make the story relevant and easy to read for a young adult