OK, so maybe that's a bit dramatic. Nevertheless, here's another youth novel from the brilliant Native American author, Sherman Alexie.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is about an aspiring young cartoonist named Junior who lives on an Indian reservation. He has a water in his brain, and isn't the most physically attractive boy in the world. What he does have is a penchant for playing basketball and a sassy best friend aptly dubbed Rowdy. One day after throwing his book at his English teacher out of frustration, his teacher comes to his house and tells him that he needs to get off the reservation, and attend the much richer, predominately white school some miles away. Junior must now weigh his options: stay on the reservation and stick with his people, or try to succeed in a foreign school as a cultural outsider, and betraying his people's culture.
This book is easier to read than Flight, but it is also quite obscene. It is up to you to judge whether or not it is appropriate for your students. Alexie doesn't sugar-coat his prose. Also, on almost every page are humorous illustrations that pertain to the text, which are fantastic for getting the students interested. The story is very substantial in terms of its message and the feeling it evokes within the reader. I've read the story twice (and plan on reading it more) and recommend it to anything with eyes. You can't go wrong with Sherman Alexie.
Appropriate grade level- 7th, 8th, or Freshman.
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