The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is about a young Indian boy in his freshman year of high school. Fourteen-year old Arnold has gotten the short end of the stick in life as he lives in an impoverished reservation where alcoholism plagues his community. When Arnold’s teacher inspires him to believe he can amount to so much more, he transfers to an all white school in a wealthier community where he meets a smart boy named Gordy and begins to fall for a popular girl named Penelope. Arnold joins the basketball team and has to face off his old school, which means going against his best friend Rowdy. Although this causes their relationship to collide, they eventually make amends by coming to the understanding that they can be friends regardless of where they attend school. The author’s style in the story is a mixture of humor and hope as he uses language that might appeal to the young audience it is intended for. “Did you just say books should give me a boner?” I don’t think I have ever read a book that depicts the strongest imagery for what a love for books truly is. This use of the term “boner” might appeal to teens’ sense of humor as well as allow them to understand the author’s message about literature. The theme educators can use to reach students is that breaking the cycle of poverty is possible. I appreciate that this book has several ways to grab the reader’s attention and I certainly recommend this to reluctant high school readers as a book that will open their minds giving them a new stance for reading.