#23 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
I chose this book because it was at the top of the "banned" books list. In this semi-autobiographical novel, Arnold Spirit struggles with being the outsider on the Indian reservation when he decides to attend school in the nearby town of Reardan, where he is also an outsider. He struggles with his poverty, with acceptance, with the rampant alcoholism of the "rez", along with all of the typical struggles that come with being a teenager.
Many parents have sought to ban the book from school libraries because of the bad language and overt references to sexuality. However, there is no dialogue in the story that seems out of place for a typical teenager. Any teens who read this book will probably identify strongly with Arnold, or possibly other characters, and they may realize that there can be hope regardless of their current struggles. If adults can get past their discomfort of the candid language, this novel would make for great discussion of themes, characters, can be tied to historical studies or be used to compare to other novels with similar themes....the list can go on and on. It could be a very impactful read for young adults.
Many parents have sought to ban the book from school libraries because of the bad language and overt references to sexuality. However, there is no dialogue in the story that seems out of place for a typical teenager. Any teens who read this book will probably identify strongly with Arnold, or possibly other characters, and they may realize that there can be hope regardless of their current struggles. If adults can get past their discomfort of the candid language, this novel would make for great discussion of themes, characters, can be tied to historical studies or be used to compare to other novels with similar themes....the list can go on and on. It could be a very impactful read for young adults.