Junior is a Native American boy
living on his reservation. He is surrounded by alcoholism and violence, so he
decides to make a change and attend his freshman year at an all white high
school. He is considered a traitor by his friends and family on the reservation,
and an outsider by the students at his new school. He befriends and sticks up
for Penelope, a girl with an eating disorder. To help with his self esteem,
Junior joins the school’s basketball team. During a game against his
reservation’s team, he is pelted with quarters and knocked unconscious. Junior then faces a series of unfortunate
losses in alcohol related deaths, but ultimately ends up reconnecting with his
ex-best friend from the reservation.
This coming of age book will appeal
to many upper middle and high school readers. Readers will root for Junior,
reading on hoping that he finds kindness, that he finds his place in his world;
a topic that many of us have experienced. The racial divide causes you to root
for equality.
Chapter 5: What Makes a Book “Good”?
Conflict
Junior has a huge conflict, racism
and acceptance, pushing at him from both sides, from his reservation and from
the all white school. Conflict makes for good reflections and discussions in
the classroom. It opens up avenues for discussions on race, acceptance, and how
to overcome it all.
Alexie, S. (2012). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
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