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

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Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
List Price: $16.99
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In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.


DESCRIPTION:

Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780316013680
ISBN: 0316013684
Label: Little, Brown Young Readers
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 2007-09-12
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Reading Level: Young Adult
Studio: Little, Brown Young Readers


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CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Comment: I grew up next to an Indian resevation in Montana and his discription is so accurate. Alexie makes you feel that you are walking in the shoes of the main character. You are pulling for him from the first pages.. This book was written for teenagers but our book club chose this book and we are all over 50.. For some this book was very upsetting, they did not realize what life was like on a reservation. It was a great read...

Customer Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read
Comment: I read Alexie's, Indian Killer, a few years back. I read it because he was highly acclaimed and noted as the next `up and coming' Native author. I wasn't that impressed with Indian Killer and I was less impressed with the film Smoke Signals, based on his collection of stories in Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. But, I can't blame all of Smoke Signals on him. It was an adaptation. I read through Lone Ranger . . . and I think that it's a lot better than the film, a lot.
I picked up The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because I was asked to speak to my son's 5th grade class because I'm a Native woman (one of the few Native parents at my childrens' school). I had issues with the fact that the teacher asked me and hadn't asked any other parents (of an ethnic background) to speak. She said it was because they were at the unit studying Native Americans. Blah blah blah. Anyway, I read through the unit on "Native Americans" in the history textbook and it only focused on the sad, brutal injustices inflicted on American Indians during the forced removal and forced assimilation eras. As usual, it neglected to look at the here and now and how Indian people are living, struggling, surviving and thriving in the 21st century.
I've read through some of the other reviews who criticized Alexie for his vulgarity and foul language, yeah, he does get a bit dirty. But, do you think teenagers always use proper language? Not likely. Do we adults always use proper language? Ha.
The reason this book is a useful read is because there ARE poverty-ridden communities across the U.S. nation. Poverty, alcoholism, depression are prevalent on all reservations. If problems are going to be fixed by the future generations then they have to be aware of what they are. I didn't live my whole young life on the rez but I lived there as a child and there is so little opportunity that it's suffocating. At the end of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie makes an important point: reservations were created to imprison Indian people, to keep Indian people away from the rest of society. And, I want to add to that, the U.S. was once covered with Native tribes, from the north to the south, east to the west. All of what is now called the United States was Indian country and still is.
This book may make some readers uncomfortable but hey, you can't grow unless you move out of your `comfort zone.'
NOTE: In this review my definition of poverty is in reference to economic poverty. Of course, poverty could be used to describe spiritual, social and cultural poverty but that's not how I was using it.


Customer Rating:
Summary: Let's Think about It
Comment: The reviews are in and the American public chooses poorly. Despite the fact this book is recently published and Americans these days are not known for reading quality, to choose to right anything but a negative review on "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" shows an ineptitude for thinking.

My 13 year old son began reading this book because it was on the summer reading list for his school (warning: a school selected review board chose this). He came to me and said, "this is not a good book". So, first, I went and read other books on the list and found two descent ones ("Gymcandy" and "Unwind") that although they deal with adult themes they were not offensive and they challenged the reader to think. Then I read Alexie's book.

The book is written from the view of a 14 year old. And although it is a creative way to write, the view point is still the same old line of: nasty, oppressed Indians making a change and struggling to succeed. Does it challenge anyone to read how teenagers behave? Does it challenge anyone to know the baseness of man? Will it inspire anyone to help someone who chooses poorly?

With so many books to choose to read from on the summer reading lists I hope this review helps another family choose to read the books before trusting that because they are on a selected list they are good.

Customer Rating:
Summary: I didn't get it
Comment: I think this is a case of the emperor's new clothes - its an ok book, but it rambles too much. There really isn't a point to much of this story, sort of a slice of life. Didn't appeal to me.

Customer Rating:
Summary: From lust to loving this book
Comment: The bookstore on a Saturday morning perusing for my middle school daughter all books for the school's fundraiser. Fell onto this one (hey, a National Book award!) and when I got it home, she devoured it in 24 hours. Then...the fateful question: what's a boner, mom? Soooooo....I read The Absolutely True Diary cover to cover, seeing the language in context of grand themes of loyalty, anti-bullying, racism, addiction, triumph of the underdog, coming of age, grief and loss. I laughed and cried and celebrated the chance meeting of a 56-year-old white single mom and a singularly spectacular book. Language be damned! Does Amazon give a group rate? I want to buy this for all the teachers in her school....

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