Shelly's Book Blog

Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is on YALSA's 2008 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults list. The story is told by a 14-year-old Native American boy named Arnold Spirit, who goes by the name of Junior on the reservation where he lives. He decides that life on "the rez" is a dead end, so he asks his parents if he can transfer to the high school in a nearby small town. His parents agree, but they are so poor that Junior often has to walk at least part of the 22 miles to and from school. Junior does well at Reardon High, though. He makes friends and joins that basketball team. The trouble is that many people back on the reservation feel that he is a traitor for choosing to attend an all-white school.

This book reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, except that the mature content marks it for kids who are in high school, rather than those in elementary school. It's a page-turner, and I enjoyed it very much!