The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

     One of my all-time favorite books is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  This book is about a young American Indian boy named Arnold who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation, where he is surrounded by extreme poverty, rampant alcoholism, and a profound sense of hopelessness. Desperate for a better chance at a successful life, Arnold transfers from the high school on "the Rez" to the nearby all-white high school. Already a frequent victim of bullies, Arnold finds that this move causes him to be completely ostracized by his fellow Indians, but what hurts the most is being rejected by Rowdy, his best friend. And since he is the only Indian at the all-white high school, Arnold has difficulty fitting in with his classmates. Arnold drifts through two completely different societies but is not accepted by either one.

     I love this book! First of all, as a white, middle-class female I found this book to be eye-opening. I understand that I have lived a privileged life. I am lucky to have no knowledge of poverty. I knew that the US had many Indian reservations but had no idea how desperate and depressing life could be there. I therefore appreciate this book for what it taught me about how others are forced to live.

     Second, Arnold is an open and honest character. He very matter-of-factly describes what it is like to be poor. He describes what it feels like not to receive Christmas presents, to go to bed hungry, and not to be able to pay when on a date. He also offers no apologies for the excessive drinking he witnesses, even in his own family, and the heartache it can cause. 

     Although many of the subjects of this book are gritty and somber, Arnold's inner strength is what saves him. He refuses to give up and succumb to the demons that surround him. As hard as things are, Arnold perseveres. 

    

     

Third Batch of Books Completed!

Here are the books I have recently finished:

All five books had female protagonists.  All were quite good but very different. Here is my ranking from least to most favorite read:

5. Born Blue by Han Nolan.  Abandoned by her drug addict mother, Janie is first exposed to "the ladies" (singers like Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday) in foster care. A gifted singer herself, Janie sets off on a self-destructive journey to become a famous singer. This is a gritty, sad, and disturbing but well-written book.  4 stars.

4. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shan. Eleven-year-old basketball player Lucy is all set to have the best year ever when her sister goes off to college, leaving Lucy with her own room. She is convinced that her year is ruined, however, when her parents make her share her room with her great-aunt visiting from China and attend Chinese School on Saturdays, which conflicts with basketball. Intended for elementary students, this cute and engaging novel explores Chinese culture, basketball, and the importance of family.  4 stars.

3. Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande.  Members of Mena's über-religious church ostracize her after a letter she writes involves them in a nasty lawsuit. Things get worse when the same church targets her biology teacher after she begins teaching a unit on evolution. This book does get a little preachy and the ending is a bit rushed, but it provides interesting insight into the ongoing debate between evolutionists and creationists. 4 stars.

2.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.  After a bizarre car accident, popular high school girl Sam finds herself reliving the last day of her life over and over. A well written, realistic, and poignant picture of high school.  4 1/2 stars.

1. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler.  Fifteen-year-old Virginia is overweight and miserable, the only member of her family who isn't thin, gorgeous, and popular. While at first she obsesses to lose weight, it no longer seems to be important once a horrible scandal rocks the family to its core.  A marvelous story of self-discovery and empowerment. 4 1/2 stars.

I go back to work in two weeks but I am going to try my best to get through at least one more batch of books before school starts. To the library I go!

What I'm Reading Now

    This week I have chosen books with female protagonists. That's about the only thing they have in common. Here's my selection:

     Three of the books I chose (Born Blue by Han Nolan; The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler; Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande ) because they were nominated for awards. I chose Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall because of strong reviews and because I liked another book by the same author. And I chose The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shan because my 12-year-old, who usually only likes fantasy and science fiction, gave this realistic fiction title a good review.

     I'll let you know what I think after I'm done with them!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

     When I was a child, many of the books I read had an animal as a main character, most famously E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. I was not prepared, however, to encounter the same phenomenon when opening a book intended for young adults. Nevertheless, that is exactly what I found when I started reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This book's main character is an elderly dog named Enzo who narrates in the first person. In this book Enzo is at the end of his life and starts to think back on his life with his human, Denny, an aspiring race car driver.  Enzo reminisces about the joys, sorrows, and challenges that he and Denny experienced, including marriage, the birth of a child, two lengthy court cases, and hours upon hours spent watching videos of famous car races.

     This book was required summer reading at my school this year. It was a rough year for us because one of our best and brightest students passed away before Thanksgiving at the age of 17. It was a horrible tragedy. I was not prepared to open The Art of Racing in the Rain and read about a character in the book fighting the same disease that took our girl. But that is a personal reaction to what went on in my life this past year, and it doesn't change the fact that the book is profound, sweet, and unique.

I very much recommend this book but dog lovers beware - you may find yourself choking up and even crying at the end! 4 1/2 stars.

Wonder is Wonderful

     So I know that the title is a lousy and tired play on words, but the sentiment is true. Of all the books  have read recently, R.J. Palacio's Wonder is one of, if not the best book I've read this year.

     Wonder tells the story of August "Auggie" Pullman, who was born with a severe facial deformity. He has been homeschooled up until now for health reasons but now is well enough that he can attend a regular school as a fifth grader. As you can imagine, the hardships of middle school are amplified because of August's appearance. Students are hesitant to befriend him, and when one of the popular kids decides that Auggie should be ostracized, he has an even more difficult time making friends. I'm not really giving anything away when I say that Auggie perseveres and ends the year on a positive note, as it is the year's journey and getting to know and empathize with Auggie that compel as much as the success he finds at year's end. 

     Reading this book will make anyone think twice about what life with a disability must be like, and I would hope that it would make people more understanding and compassionate and help them be, as the book says, "kinder than necessary." And, as I have said earlier, it is an excellent read. While reading this book I chuckled, smiled, and cried, and I'm pretty sure that anyone else who reads this book will too. 5 enthusiastic stars!