The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Ill. by Ellen Forney. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316013680

PLOT SUMMARY

Fourteen year-old Arnold Spirit (also known as Junior) has always been an outsider in the Spokane Indian reservation where he lives.  This coming of age stories chronicles Arnold’s quest to better himself.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie provides a good introduction to life on a reservation to readers unfamiliar with the lifestyle.  Similar to other coming of age stories, Arnold does not fit in in his community.  He has always been bullied and only has one true friend, Rowdy.  When Arnold decides to switch schools to better himself, he is ostracized by the reservation’s community.  At his new school, Arnold is the only American Indian.  He is able, however, to carve himself a spot within the school’s social structure. 

Teenagers, especially boys, will be able to relate to the main character, Arnold.  Arnold is a realistic character and Alexie has succeeded in creating a likeable and authentic protagonist.  Because this story is written in the first person, readers will feel like they personally know Arnold.

The setting of this book is split between the reservation and the white school, Reardan.  In his descriptions of the reservation, Alexie provides enough detail that readers will understand the poverty that the residents are experiencing.  The opposite is true with Alexie’s descriptions of Reardan.  The most prevalent theme in this story is the theme of identity, as Arnold is trying to discover who he is as an individual, apart from his tribe.

At 229 pages, this is definitely a chapter book for older readers.  Despite the length, Forney’s illustrations are included every few pages.  The black and white cartoons are supposed to be drawn by Arnold and definitely supplement the story nicely.  The illustrations add information to the story, such as the description of the differences between whites and American Indians on p. 57.  The illustrations also add to the appeal of this book to male readers.  This novel would be a good suggestion for readers who typically read graphic novels.

Cultural information is integral to this story.  Alexie does not include many physical descriptions, but he excels at describing the reservation culture.  Most notably, Alexie informs readers about the widespread alcohol abuse among American Indians.  Throughout the story, Arnold mentions alcoholism like it is not a big deal.  This, combined with the frequency it is mentioned, makes readers understand how widespread and “normal” alcoholism is.  For example, after describing his friend’s parents, Arnold says that “My mother and father are drunks too, but they aren’t mean like that” (p. 16).  Later, Arnold says that “I only know, like, five Indians in our whole tribe who have never drunk alcohol” (p. 158).  Alexie succeeds at describing cultural differences between American Indians and whites, but he also does well in explaining how the two cultures are similar.  Arnold’s parents, like parents of other ethnicities, want better for their children than they had themselves:

“But it isn’t weird that my parents so quickly agreed with my plans.  They want a better life for my sister and me.  My sister is running away to get lost, but I am running away because I want to find something.  And my parents love me so much that they want to help me.  Yeah, Dad is a drunk and Mom is an ex-drunk, but they don’t want their kids to be drunks.”

Throughout this story, Alexie uses humor address some tough issues.  This is an entertaining read and effectively teaches readers about cultural intricacies.  Some of the topics may be mature for very young readers, but readers in grades 8 and up will be a perfect fit for this story.    

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: “Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here.”

School Library Journal: “The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.”

CONNECTIONS

In the following books, Alexie presents similar themes:

Sherman Alexie. War Dances. ISBN 9780802144898

Sherman Alexie. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. ISBN 9780802141675 

Sherman Alexie. Face. ISBN 9781931236706

 

 

Morning Girl

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dorris, Michael. 1992. Morning Girl. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 07681358X

PLOT SUMMARY

In Morning Girl, Dorris tells the story of a young Taino girl, Morning Girl, and her younger brother, Star Boy, who live on a Bahamian island in 1492.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The plot of this story is interesting because it explores a well-known story (the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World) from a unique perspective.  Morning Girl and her brother, Star Boy, are living normal day-to-day lives.  Readers familiar with the history of conquest in the Americas will read anxiously read this story, waiting for the inevitable disruption in these children’s lives.  The arrival of Europeans is only a brief moment of the story, but it is powerful to realize the magnitude of the impact their arrival will have on the community.

Each chapter in this story alternates between the perspectives of Morning Girl and Star Boy.  This allows readers to understand the motivation behind each of their actions in addition to allowing readers to form a deeper relationship with both characters.  Most readers will be able to relate to the characters.  Even though the story takes place more than 500 years ago, readers will be able to relate to the tension between siblings that takes place in Morning Girl.

Morning Girl takes place on an island in the Bahamas.  The vivid descriptions allow readers to easily visualize the setting.  The importance of family is a theme often explored throughout the story.  Morning Girl’s mother loses a baby and Star Boy goes missing during a hurricane.  During these events, Dorris relates the importance of the family members to each other.

Cultural markers are thoroughly integrated throughout this story.  Dorris excels at using metaphors from nature to add to his descriptions.  For example, Morning Girl describes the color of her skin: “tan as the inside of a yam after the air has dried it” (p. 31).  Later in the story, Star Boy has a conversation with dead ancestors.  Although a brief scene, it is a good example for readers of how the native belief system may differ from their own.  Dorris also does a good job of explaining daily life activities.  After the hurricane he describes how the families would build their houses and leisure activities that community members would take part in (p. 46-47).

This is a short story at only 74 pages.  There is a brief epilogue at the end of the story that includes an excerpt from the diary of Christopher Columbus.  Although the story is short, readers will quickly bond with the characters.  The abrupt ending will leave readers contemplating what happened next.

 REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Horn Book Guide: “A book not to be missed.”

Kirkus Review: “Saddening, compelling--a novel to be cherished for its compassion and humanity.”

School Library Journal: “Dorris has written a reverberating story of coming-of-age, both for the two characters and for the world.”

CONNECTIONS

The following stories also tell about white conquest from a young American Indian perspective:

Scott O’Dell. Sing Down the Moon. ISBN 9780547406329

Jane Yolen. Encounter. ISBN 9780152013899

The Arrow Over the Door

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Bruchac, Joseph. 2002. The Arrow Over the Door. Ill. by James Watling. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0141305711

 

PLOT SUMMARY

 

In 1777, the American colonies are facing conflict in all directions and colonists fear attacks by both the British army and the Indians in the area. The Arrow over the Door tells the story of two young boys who have a meaningful meeting in a Quaker Meetinghouse.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

 

Based on a true story, The Arrow Over the Door tells the story of a gathering between Quakers and an Abenaki Indian scouting party in 1777.  There are two main characters in this story.  Samuel Russell is a thirteen year-old boy living near Saratoga, New York.  Stands Straight is a young Abenaki boy.  The story is told from both of their perspectives, alternating between chapters.  Readers, especially young boys, will be able to relate to both characters.

 

Although the setting of this story is the American colonies, the setting is a minor detail to this story.  The historical context in which this story is placed is much more important.  Readers will benefit if they have a working knowledge of the American Revolution, but it is unnecessary.

 

In addition to telling about American Indian culture, this book also expands on Quaker culture, which is often underrepresented.  It is likely that children will be unfamiliar with Quaker history and this book would be helpful in introducing them to the topic.  Most notably, Bruchac includes accurate dialogue between Quaker characters.  The Quakers use a lot of thees and thous, for example.

 

Despite the Quaker cultural references, this book thoroughly explores American Indian cultural markers.  It is an accurate and respectful piece of fiction.  Near the beginning of the story, Bruchac describes Stands Straight:

 

“Though his trousers and his shirt were the kind that could be seen from Montréal to the Gaspé Peninsula, his long black hair, the brown color of his skin, and the Algonquin features of his handsome face revealed the fact that he was an Indian.  So did the moccasins and the leather pouch decorated with the beaded shape of a rabbit, which hung at his waist” (p. 11).

 

Stands Straight speaks both French and Abenaki, a result of being an altar boy.  This illustrates the French influence on the native population and his historically accuarate. 

 

The simple black and white illustrations by James Watling add to the story.  The illustrations show characters from both cultures in traditional clothing.

 

The Author’s Note at the end of the book adds to the historical accuracy of the story.  In the Author’s Note, Bruchac explains what historians think really happened during this event and he explains his personal connection to the story.

 

Overall, this was an interesting story.  At only 89 pages, it may appeal to reluctant readers, especially boys.

 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

 

School Library Journal: “With a surprising amount of drama and even suspense, this tale of pacifism triumphant makes a good choice for historical fiction collections.”

 

Booklist: “A truly excellent example of historical fiction for the middle-grade/junior-high audience.”

 

CONNECTIONS

 

Readers who enjoyed The Arrow Over the Door might also enjoy the following books by Joseph Bruchac:

 

Joseph Bruchac. Children of the Longhouse. ISBN 0140385045

 

Joseph Bruchac. March Toward the Thunder. ISBN 0142414468