Saturday, August 01, 2009

MC Spotlight #1: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

And the first book to kick off the YA Fresh Multicultural Spotlight for August is...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie's YA debut, released in hardcover to instant success, recieving seven starred reviews, hitting numerous bestseller lists, and winning the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
For an excerpt click here. To read a whole lotta goodness about the book click here.

A National Book Award-winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman Alexie has been named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists and has been lauded by The Boston Globe as "an important voice in American literature." He is one of the most well known and beloved literary writers of his generation, with works such as The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Reservation Blues and has received numerous awards and citations, including the PEN/Malamud Award for Fiction and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award. Visit www.fallsapart.com for more information about the author.

5 fresh comments:

Steph Bowe said...

I loved this book.

Leigh Purtill said...

I couldn't put this book down and actually LOL'ed at parts. A terrific read.

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

I definitely have this on my TBR list!!

Thanks for sharing, Steph and Leigh!

TinaFerraro said...

I want to read this, too!

TinaFerraro said...

A PS on this book a week later. I'm back from the SCBWI conference where Sherman Alexie was a speaker, and I was so completely and utterly blown away by his talk that I bought the book immediately!