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

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a YA National Book Award Winner by Sherman Alexie. Junior has grown up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. But after being encouraged by a teacher, he decides to go to school at an all-white high school nearby. Loosely based on author Sherman Alexie's real life, this story shows what it's like to follow your dreams, even in the midst of heartache and loneliness.

Sex: There are no sex scenes, but the narrator talks about masturbation several times and he makes comments about sex on numerous occasions.

Language: Moderate to high.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Lots of drinking. Junior blames alcohol for most of the problems on the Reservation.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Several fights and deaths. Junior faces lots of loss and heartache.

Final Note: I'm not going to lie, this book had a lot of mature material. Normally I wouldn't even be able to finish, but I was extremely intrigued by Junior's story. Living in Washington now, and near an Indian Reservation, I was curious to see what life is like from a Native American perspective. I thought Sherman Alexie did a great job sharing that. I think high school boys especially will enjoy this novel.

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Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

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