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

Funny, this is a funny story. It's also very easy to read because it's so funny and personalized, much like a diary.

Poignant, this is also a poignant story. You will feel so connected to the personal struggles of Junior that you'll want to reach out and be his friend. It's rich with feelings.

Here's the story. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is exactly that. Junior, as he is known on the Indian reservation (the rez), is Native American but he is also attending a white high school off of the rez. For that reason he feels that he is just a part-time Indian. This is written as though Junior were speaking to us, like he would write in a diary. It's also complete with his drawings - he loves to draw cartoons!

Imagine being the only Indian at the high school in the reservation's nearby town. Yes, the rez has its own high school but Junior wanted out. He wanted more opportunities. He knew white people have more success in their lives than the struggles he witnessed all around him on the rez. So he left. He alone made the decision to attend Reardan High School.

He was ostracized by his rez friends as well as the white students at Reardan. But he was committed to improving his life through education. He saw that alcoholism was ruining too many families and lives of the Indians on his Spokane Indian reservation.

This is definely a guy book. The humor will be most appreciated by guys. Take time to read the word bubbles with the cartoon illustrations as well. This book's illustrator, Ellen Forney, has done a great job enhancing the character of Junior through the illustrations. We learn much about him by taking a closer look.

Mr. Alexie won The National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2007 for this book. You can read more about him from this National Book Foundation Web page. You'll learn, like I did, that he wrote from his own experiences - Junior may actually be Sherman Alexie.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm