The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, S. The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.
ISBN-10 0316013684
ISBN-13 978-0316013680
240 pgs
Format: Book
Genre: Contemporary life
Classification: Fiction
Age level: Age 13 and up

Reader's annotation
Arnold is determined to break the tragic cycle of limited opportunities on the Indian reservation where he lives. Despite several obstacles, like not having any transportation, he decides to enroll in good school in a wealthy white community far outside the boundaries of the rez.

Summary
Arnold, known as Junior, a teenage boy who lives on an Indian reservation in Washington State, takes the advice of his teacher and goes where the hope is and transfers to a high school twenty miles away in an affluent white community. Through his intelligence and skill at basketball he finds a way to fit in, make friends and finds love with an almost girlfriend named Penelope while dealing with the heartbreak of poverty and alcohol addiction among his Indian friends and family. This novel contains many glimpses of insight, like the purpose of life is meeting new people, that will connect with readers and make them smile. The book includes hand-drawn illustrations that reflect the narrators’ love of comics.

Notes
This novel is an insightful, personal, and troubling look at life for a smart teenage boy living on an Indian reservation. What is so inspiring is that he is brave enough to seek out other options for his future and begins by attending high school outside the reservation, even if it means alienating himself from his own community.

Awards and honors
National Book Award, 2007
American Indian Library Association Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2008