"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time" Indian by Sherman Alexie

First of all, I cannot believe that I've never read this book. I can't believe I've never read any Sherman Alexie books before now. I loved this book. I mean, I really loved this book. I wanted to not even put it down before beginning to read this book for the second time. I am very much looking forward to reading his other books during our winter break. Okay...that's out. This is an excellent book to have available for adolescent readers. Some of the issues which I feel would be most valuable for high school students to read about is the feelings of isolation and lonliness Junior deals with. Also another issue Junior deals with, aside from obviously being an outsider, is his poverty and the shame he feels regarding his poverty. The scene with his new friends, Roger and Penolope, after the school dance was particularly poignant and uplifting. Generally, the humor in the book and the candid way Alexie approaches the occurances of the protagonists life made this book such an enjoyable read. The story of Junior's fears, tragedies, triumphs, and renewal of lost relationships were told in such a way, I believe any adolescent could relate to and grow and learn from.