The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Going to new school can be rough…
I’m so glad that I found Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary and decided to go with it. I had started Ceremony by Silko, but it was too slow an introduction for my boys, so I put it down and picked up this one.
My kids really got into the story. And it just happened that they were about to and then did switch schools while we were reading this book. It was serendipitous.
There is some talk about things my kids aren’t yet doing, but will soon enough, so they are aware. That proved not to be an issue, but if your kids aren’t ready for infatuation, masturbation, and real sadness, then it might not be a good choice. My kids are eleven and ten.
They really got into the basketball story. They play sports and understand rivalries.
They also really gained an understand of racism and alcoholism and education. The book has so many reasons to recommend it. It’s quite a popular book for a reason. I taught it in my lower level college English class.
The story is one of exile, and that’s an important facet of the human condition when one is torn between wanting to live in the greater world and wanting to live at home. Since a great many kids can relate to this feeling, Alexie’s book is universal.