The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, is a book I never expected to enjoy so much. I was not sure what to expect when I first looked at the cover, but the first page of the story let me know I was going to be taken for a ride. The style in which the story is written is quite entertaining. Not many book I have read are narrated by a foul-mouthed fourteen year old kid, but after reading this one, I wouldn’t mind reading more.

Alexie’s novel is a comedic but also serious look into the hardships and life of a Native American Indian on the Spokane reservation, Arnold. He tells the story of his life on a reservation and then how his life changes when he decides to leave and attend Rearden high school. He encounters bullies, racism, and loneliness while there, though he encountered similar hardships on the reservation due to his birth defect, size, and lisp.  The novel does a great job introducing these hard topics and themes to people. The narrator is straight forward when it comes to talking about problems which makes it easier for people to understand. These reasons and for many others I chose to do my unit plan on this book. The story may be controversial and use strong language, but that just makes it all the more real, and easier for students to understand. I think all secondary Spokane schools should read this book, partly due to the fact they are located so close to where the story takes place. This means the novel has a connection with students, and so many education books talk about how lessons and material needs to be connected to the student.

Overall I enjoyed reading this novel and I would highly suggest it to other educators and really anyone else who likes a good read.