Thursday, November 24, 2016

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

Cover:














Bibliographic Information:
Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
ISBN:  978-0316013680
Publisher: Little Brown
Copyright: 2007

Reader’s Annotation:
What do you do when you live between two cultures, and fit into neither of them?


Summary:
Arnold, our narrator, is a Indian teen living on the reservation, where everyone is poor, and opportunities are scarce.  Arnold does not really fit in, partly because he has some serious health issues.  Nearly everyone picks on him or beats him up, except for his best friend Rowdy.  Arnold decides he wants to transfer to the regular public school in the next town over, a school full of white kids, which causes Rowdy to no longer be Arnold’s friend.  At the new school, Arnold makes some new friends, and decides to join the basketball team, where he will play against his old schoolmates from the reservation school.  Arnold’s family suffers some tragic losses, leaving Arnold to wonder if he ever will really fit in anywhere.


Critical Evaluation:
One of the most notable aspects about this book is the feeling of authenticity.  As a character, Arnold feels so genuine.  I attribute this to the fact that Arnold has much in common with the author, Sherman Alexie, including the experience of growing up on a reservation.  It is imperative that the field of young adult literature contain stories of minority people, told by authentic voices.  This book is a perfect example of how an authentic voice can make such an impact on a book.  Arnold speaks very frankly about the hardships of life on the rez, including extreme poverty, and alcoholism.

The overarching tone of the book is one of humor.  Arnold is very good natured about the ways he does not fit in; it is a self deprecating sort of humor, which we see when Arnold talks about getting beat up.  Also, Arnold draws funny pictures that accompany his writing.  Even the aspects of the book that deal with difficult situations, like his fight with Rowdy, or the loss of his loved ones, are done in a way that invokes humor.  A lot of teen readers will be able to relate to Arnold’s use of humor as a coping mechanism.

As the story progresses, you really want to see Arnold succeed.  You are drawn to him as a character.  Part of the thing about Arnold that makes him so relatable as a character is him searching for his place in life, the place where he fits in.  This is a feeling that is so common among teens, it is no wonder that this book speaks to so many young adult readers.

In this book, Sherman Alexie has created a genuine character in Arnold, telling his own version of a story that teens know so well.  This is one of those magical books that hits all the right buttons to make it appeal to teens.  It is written in a honest, almost heartbreakingly funny manner that draws the reader in from the very first page.

Author Biography:

Sherman Alexie is the author of, most recently, Blasphemy, stories, from Grove Press, and Face, poetry, from Hanging Loose Press. He is the winner of the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award, the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the 2001 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and a Special Citation for the 1994 PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Fiction. Smoke Signals, the film he wrote and coproduced, won both the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Alexie lives with his family in Seattle.

Genre(s):
Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties:
Pennsylvania State Standard CC.1.3.9-10.K
Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.


Booktalk Ideas:
A discussion on what it feels like to be an outcast or outsider

A discussion on why Arnold chose to leave the reservation, and how teens may face a similar choice one day
          
Reading Level:
Lexile 600

Interest Age: 
14 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based scenes of violence, substance use and abuse, adult language, and discussions of sexuality.

  If this book were challenged I would:
·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge
·         Consult the library’s collection development policy
·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 
·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials
·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus
·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received
·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights
·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:


I really wanted my collection to include a book that featured a Native American voice, and this is absolutely the best example I have found.  This book is also one of the most frequently challenged books in recent years, so I wanted make sure I read it and anticipated it being challenged.  Frankly, I do not see what makes this book so different from many others in the field of YA literature.  The reasons that adults may challenge this book are some of the things that make it so special, the things that make it realistic and relatable to teens.  

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