The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
- Lexile
- 600L
- Grade range
- Grades 7–10
- Age range
- Ages 12–17
- Pages
- 230
- First published
- 2007
- Genre
- Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780316013697
Where to find this book
About this book
Junior, a cartoonist from the Spokane Indian Reservation, transfers to an all-white high school 22 miles off the rez. The novel won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and is among the most-challenged books in US schools per the ALA, cited for profanity, sexual references, and depictions of poverty and alcoholism on the reservation.
Themes
- Native American identity
- poverty
- racism
- coming of age
- alcoholism in family
- code-switching
Content notes
- profanity
- sexual references
- alcoholism
- death of family members
- racial slurs
Common Sense Media recommends age 13+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 8th gradesource: CCSS ELA grades 6-8 contemporary YA exemplar
- recommended· 8th grade · Washingtonsource: WA OSPI 8th grade — Spokane-set National Book Award winner
- recommended· 9th gradesource: CCSS ELA grades 9-10 Native American voice exemplar
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10, with a Lexile measure of 600L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has a Lexile measure of 600L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian banned in schools?
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 6 states (FL, TX, MO, WY, OR, WA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian explore?
- Central themes in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian include Native American identity, poverty, racism, coming of age, alcoholism in family. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 600L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 7–10 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- Documented as challenged or removed in 6 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.