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

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2009.

Reasons that this book was banned:

http://www.abffe.org/bbw-booklist-detailed.htm
In 2008, school officials in Crook County, OR, removed the book from ninth grade English classes at Crook County High School after one parent complained about a passage that discussed masturbation. The Kids Right to Read Project sent a letter to the Crook County superintendent and the school board, offering resources and support to school officials who objected to the book’s removal. The superintendent removed the book in violation of district policy, but a committee review board voted to reinstate it. While the book was returned to the library, it was suspended from classroom use while the superintendent, school board, and a committee reviewed the district’s policy on instructional materials. 

In April 2010, the Stockton (MO) School District voted to ban the book after a parent protested its use in high school English classes. The District says it voted to ban the book due to violence, language and some sexual content.

Annotation: Arnold “Junior” Spirit takes the opportunity to leave his reservation to go to the rich white school in Reardan. In doing so tests his friendship with his best friend, a boy named Rowdy who feels Junior has turned his back on him. At Reardan, Junior deals with the mixed emotions of being well accepted into this new, white, rich world and wonders himself if he’s not some kind of traitor.

Justification for Nomination: This book is hilarious. The voice of Junior, our protagonist, is spot-on as a 14-year-old who survived Hydrocephalus as a baby to grow into a stuttering, skinny, glasses wearing, Native American boy who loves to draw cartoons. He’s exceptional in many ways from his ability to launch into geometry problems with ease to being able to reflect on his life and relationships through the cartoons he draws (and which are “reproduced” in the book). He takes his awkwardness in stride and though never forgetting it or even completely growing out of it, he becomes comfortable with who he is and popular for that quality. What’s so great about this old lesson about appreciating yourself for who you are is that it develops so naturally and realistically that it’s not a lesson so much as it’s simply felt.
As mentioned the book includes many drawings that are supposed to be from our narrator. This not only gives us another level of insight into Junior and a means to specifically see the faces of important people in Junior’s life it’s a great way to break up the page. I don’t think this would have been a slow-paced book without the drawings but including them really makes this a page-turner and so would be excellent for engaging reluctant readers.
With virtuoso skill the comedy of the story takes us into issues of poverty and racism related to reservation life. Some tinges of pain are felt such as when he laments that the only glasses available to him seem to be retooled adults glasses with ugly black rims. Yet he also says with pride that being hungry isn’t so bad because it makes food taste better. Similarly issues of alcoholism are managed with funny lines from his father claiming his only an alcoholic when he’s drunk to a much more serious situation that claims the life of his sister. Yet throughout these tragedies it’s Junior humor that becomes a life preserver for him. This doesn’t come across as crass or unfeeling but realistic. It made me remember times in my own life where I could as easily laugh as cry because I was so helpless to do anything about it.
As to the issue of this book’s removal from the aforementioned school the scene that probably got the school’s attention most is where Junior tells us he likes geometry to the point that it makes him feel hormonal. He connects this to the curves he sees on girls particularly those he studies in magazines in the bathroom. He then unabashedly announces:

Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate.

I’m proud of it.

I’m good at it.

I’m ambidextrous.

If there were a Professional Masturbators League, I’d get drafted number one and make millions of dollars.

And maybe you’re thinking, “Well you really shouldn’t be talking about masturbation in public.”

Well, tough, I‘m going to talk about it because EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.

And if God hadn’t wanted us to masturbate,. then God wouldn’t’ have given us thumbs.

So I thank God for my thumbs. (25-6)

But consider the context, the opening of the book is a story of birth defects, poverty, alcoholism and racism. This is a boy fighting against so many social stigmas from being Native American to having a stutter or wearing glasses. He cherishes moments of escape which are only had through drawing cartoons. So here he suddenly takes a stand on something that’s natural and to him bestowed by God, not condemned by God. But what I think might really make adults nervous is the line, “EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.” This flies directly into the Victorian sensibilities that hide the legs of chairs behind skirting as to prevent sexual thoughts towards our furniture. Maybe we're nervous because we remember how curious we were about sex when we were 14 and how we too may have saw photos or read about masturbation in a book and…hey wait a minute.

Now is this appropriate for public conversation as stated by Junior? Well that could lead to some interesting discussion about our own views on sexuality and what’s on public display in the media all the time. Would it have to be a direct discussion as to whether we should masturbate or not? It’s certainly not a discussion I’d rush to with a class. But that’s what makes controversy such great fodder for debate. It reveals the concerns of each of us.

Genre of Catalog: Native American, Fiction, Based on True Events.