The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie http://fallsapart.com/

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Date of Publication: 1966

Illustrator: Ellen Forney https://ellenforney.com/

Genre Designation: Fiction

Lexile: 600L

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Summary:

This novel is about an Indian boy named Arnold. Life is not easy for Arnold. He has friends, but they bully him. They rarely listen to him, call him degrading names and threaten to beat him up. His home life is dysfunctional as well. His parents, especially his father is an alcoholic, and  his sister lives in the basement of their house and rarely comes up. Eventually the sister runs off and gets married and moves to Montana. On the advice of his teacher Mr. P. he decides to leave the reservation and attend a school that is primarily white over twenty miles away. With this move he becomes a traitor to the people of the reservation and an outcast to the people at his new school. At his new school he encounters a whole new set of bullies and the name calling and fighting continues. The novel follows Arnold through making new friends, mending old ones, allowing himself to become honest and vulnerable, and sadly death of those closest to him. 

Target Audience:

The target audience for this book would be grades 6-12. The themes discussed in this book are serious. To give the subject matter the consideration and understanding it requires I would recommend above 6th grade. 

Evaluation:

This book really tackles many of the issues facing youth today. Arnold is mistreated by so many people in his life. While what the young boy in this novel endured is by no means acceptable, you admire his resilience. You can not read this novel and not be changed. It is a clash of cultures and a clash of socioeconomic lifestyles. The message is even in the most desperate of circumstances, you need to persevere.  The novel also uses illustrations throughout the novel to help explain what Arnold is feeling or thinking.

Reader Response Activity:

This novel could allow for deep reflection about the way you have been treated in the past or the way you have treated someone. After finishing the novel have the students identify 5 things that were significant for Arnold on his journey. They can choose to write an essay or make a poster board.