Challenged and Banned Books: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Bibliographic Data

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.

Summary

Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, is a Spokane Indian living on the reservation when one of his teachers tells him he has to get out of the reservation or he will die there. Arnold tells his parents that night he wants to go to the all-white, “rich kid” school 22 miles away from the reservation. When he starts attending his new school, his community back in the reservation treat him as a traitor, and make sure he knows how unhappy they are with him. Feeling stuck in two worlds, Arnold tries to navigate living in two very different worlds.

Critical Analysis

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has been challenged for several reasons. Some of the reasons it has been challenged is because it has offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, anti-family, drugs and alcohol use and abuse, violence, and unsuited for age group. While it’s true this book has all of those things, I don’t feel they are overly explicit in the use of those challenges. I also feel they are warranted because they add to the story. Without them, Arnold wouldn’t be truly understood by the reader. They make Arnold feel and sound like a read person that is struggling with his identity and his differences at home and at school. One weakness is the story kind of drops certain characters towards the end. The way it came full circle with Rowdy was nice, but the rest of the story kind of felt like it ended quite abruptly.

Creative Activity

Because this is a banned book, after reading students could debate the reasons why it has been challenged in the past, and argue whether they feel those challenges were warranted or not. They can also create a court room scenario where they have one side as defendants for the book and one side as the plaintiff, the parent challenging the book. The rest of the class can be the jury and they can have a trial to determine if the book should be taken off the shelves or not.

Related Resources

Wonder is a similar story of one trying to find their place in a new world. August, who has a facial deformity, decides he doesn’t want to be home schooled anymore when entering the 5^th grade. This story is similar to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian since both characters are having to navigate their way in a new world, and new school.

Palacio, R. J. Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.

Students can learn more about the Spokane Indian Tribe while through their website.

Spokane Tribe of Indians: Children of the Sun. Spokane Tribe If Indians, 2016. Web. 24 June 2016.

Published Review

"The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Review." Booklist Online. N.p., Aug. 2007. Web. 24 June 2016.