The+Absolutely+True+Diary+of+a+Part-Time+Indian

Alexie, Sherman. //The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian//. New York: Little,Brown and Company, 2007.
 * Citation **

** Summary ** // The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian // written by Sherman Alexie is a novel that recounts the trials of a Native American teenager, Arnold Spirit, Jr. and his struggles with coming of age and the uncertainty of where he belongs; in a reservation or in society. His reservation does not hold the same values of education as Arnold does, so he decides to transfers to an all-white school, outside of his reservation. Because he made this bold move, everyone in Arnold’s reservation abandons him including his best friend, Rowdy. His reservation and his best friend begin to view his as a traitor. Thus, he beings his lonely journey to overcome the challenges of being an outsider to his reservation and in his all- white school. I found this novel to be very enjoyable to read because it is not the typical young adolescences novel. It deals with real life issues that I believe a lot of middle school students can relate too, issues such as bullying, alcohol, poverty, abuse, and alienation. I also found it interesting how Sherman Alexie used humor in this novel to smoothen out difficult and emotional incidents. Alexie wrote to //The New York Post// once, “I write in blood because I know what it feels like to bleed.” Reading that quote changed my life, and I believe that now more than ever young adolescences can relate to that perspective. In order to overcome their challenges, I believe young adolescences need literature that not only enhances their literacy skills, but that can also connect with them on a personal level. To me, that is precisely what this novel is capable of doing and I would highly recommend it.
 * Critique **

Social Studies Language Arts Art Theater Science
 * Content Area Uses **
 * Study the History of Native Americans
 * Study the rituals and traditions of reservations
 * Ask students to write a story of a time when they felt like an outsider.
 * Discuss how and why humor is used in this novel to soften difficult and emotional incidents.
 * Students can begin by examining how Arnold uses drawing as a means of communication, and then find a passage from within the novel and communicate it through their own drawings.
 * This novel would make a great play (after some PG revision)
 * It would also be a wonderful possibility to teach students about diversity and acceptance.
 *  Research what cerebral spinal fluid is and what it does to the skull.