THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

 THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

by Sherman Alexie

Image credit: www.hachettebookgroup.com

1. Bibliography

Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown & Company. ISBN 978-0-316-01368-0

2. Plot Summary

This is the story of Arnold "Junior" Spirit as he navigates the perils of being a teenager while living on the Spokane Indian reservation.  Junior was born with a variety of health issues, including hydrocephaly, which result in his unusual appearance.  His appearance causes him to be the favorite target for bullies on the reservation.  His saving grace is his best friend Rowdy, who acts as Junior's protector and sticks up for him.    When Junior gets frustrated with his situation and lashes out at school, his eccentric geometry teacher steps in and challenges Junior to leave the reservation and become a success.  This sets Junior into action and he decides to transfer from the run-down reservation school to the high school in the all-white farm town that is 22 miles away.  There, he starts out as an outcast, but manages to befriend the school nerd, Gordy, get a popular girlfriend, and make the varsity basketball team.  Just when things are going well for Junior, his home life begins to crumble as his grandmother passes away and then his sister, as well.  Although he has loving parents, his father's alcoholism and his family's poverty are a constant struggle.  

3. Critical Analysis

This story is a compelling and honest coming of age tale with an interesting perspective.  There are already numerous stories that depict Native Americans as a relic from the past, but this one shows Native Americans in a contemporary setting.  It does not show the reservation as a refuge or gloss over the struggles the people face in today's society.  In fact, this story tackles many of the stereotypes head on and dispels some of the misconceptions about life on a Native American reservation.  Through the point of view of Junior and the cast of interesting characters in his life, a young reader would delve right in to this story of a difficult adolescence.

The cultural markers are plentiful as Junior describes what life is like on the reservation.  He has even more cultural observations after he transfers to an white high school across town.  On the reservation, the schools are inadequate, poverty is rampant, and alcoholism is commonplace.  Junior experiences all of this firsthand, but finds solace in humor and his cartoon drawings.  At the school in Reardan, the students are scholarly, have money, and do not regularly get in fistfights.  Junior learns that they are very suspicious of him and that they call him derogatory names since he is a "reservation Indian".   

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (December 2011) "Alexie draws us into this semi-autobiographical story of poverty, alcoholism, and the dignity of upholding ancient traditions with poignantly witty prose and well-paced compelling and culturally authentic narration deserving of the 2009 Odyssey Award."

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE (September 2007) "Junior's spirit, though, is unquenchable, and his style inimitable, not least in the take-no-prisoners cartoons he draws (as expertly depicted by comics artist Forney) from his bicultural experience. 

• National Book Award, 2007
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2008
• Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book Award, 2007
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2007

5. Connections

• There are many possible reader's response questions that could pair well with this story such as "Compare yourself to Arnold Spirit, Jr.  What do you have in common? What differences do you have?" or "Tell how Junior changes as a character throughout the story."