Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007.240 p. ISBN: 978-0-316-01368-0
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an adolescent novel written by Native-American author, Sherman Alexie which won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2007. The novel follows the story of Arnold Spirit, a young boy growing up on an Indian reservation. Arnold’s already unique situation is further complicated by a neurological disease that causes physical deformities and disabilities and causes him to be harassed by his peers. The violence and poverty on the reservation is also brought to light through Arnold’s honest depiction of his experiences and gives the reader a look inside a world that is close to home but often seems far away. One day, Arnold’s teacher suggests that he seek a better life in a white school outside of the reservation. Although this proves to be the right choice in many aspects, Arnold learns firsthand the divide between his life inside and that outside of the reservation. Even in his attempt to escape the violence and poverty, Arnold finds that these are aspects of his life that he cannot escape.
I definitely found this book to be teachable for a middle school classroom. Alexie manages to create a story that is culturally insightful without seeming distant or unfamiliar to a non-Native-American reader. Arnold’s race, physical disabilities, family situation, unique hobbies, self-discovery and teenage struggles make him a character with whom virtually any adolescent can relate to on some level. The novel is also worthwhile on a literary level. There are many opportunities for vocabulary study as well as the study of theme. Overall, I found this novel to be enjoyable, insightful and teachable for a middle school classroom and would suggest it as a tool for teaching about the Native-American culture in a way that would interest adolescent students.
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