By: Sherman Alexie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is about a fourteen year old boy named Junior living on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. Since he has many health problems, he is bullied by other tribe members. Living in poverty is hard for him when his family cannot afford to take his dog to the veterinarian. Junior loves to learn, but is frustrated by the lack of educational resources at school. He transfers to a wealthier school district off the reservation, where he is still lonely and has a hard time making friends. He makes the varsity basketball team and when he plays against the reservation team everyone sees him as a traitor. Junior experiences many tragedies including his grandmother and sister dying, but continues to do well in school and focuses on building friendships. This book has important messages for young teens. They may relate to a lot of Junior's experiences. Young teens go through a lot of tough times. Many are bullied and try to fit in with their peers, just like Junior was. The story helps teens to deal with hard situations. It teaches that even though life can be tough, it is important to stay positive and motivated. Junior focused on other tasks such as his grades and being social. He used humor to keep himself smiling. The story teaches the negative effects of bullying. Students will see how bullying hurt Junior and relate it to how their actions may affect their classmates. Teachers should discuss with their students that their classmates may be going through struggles at home, so treat everyone with kindness. The book is an important addition to the classroom because it teaches that people should not exclude others because of certain physical traits, personality traits, interests, cultures, or race. When children learn that they need to be accepting of others, it helps prevent bullying and groups of friends that exclude others. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian also shows that you can overcome any obstacle if you work hard and do not let any circumstance stop you from achieving your goals.
Problems that may come up When Teaching The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
This book includes some mature topics. It includes racism, inappropriate language, and is sexually explicit. Many parents have tried to get this book banned from classrooms because they do not think the content is appropriate for their child. A teacher should approach this book with caution. Even though the story includes many positive messages, parts of the text can be seen as offensive. A teacher should choose to include this book after deciding if her class is mature enough to handle it. A teacher should also include a letter home to parents telling them that it will be taught in class and warn them about the subjects the book includes. If a parent does not want their child to read it, there should be an alternative book to read. The class should discuss the text with respect and with appropriate comments. The book should be approached with awareness to how the students are responding to it.
This website includes the summary, description of characters, quotes, themes, discussion questions, and quizzes from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Sherman Alexie biography.
Teaching The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
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