Cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie · Grades 7–10 · Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is assigned in US schools at grades 7–10, with a Lexile measure of 600L. It appears on 8 lists: 1 state standards document, 6 book-award lists and 1 school or library reading list, across 4 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 12–17 · Grades 7–10 · Lexile 600L · 230 pages. Content notes: profanity, sexual references, alcoholism (Common Sense Media: 13+). The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780316013697). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Among the most widely assigned — 8 curriculum lists · 4 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook)Boston Globe–Horn Book AwardGreat Lakes Great Books AwardCalifornia Young Reader Medal+3 more

This page shows where The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Lexile
600L
Grade range
Grades 7–10See the list:7th8th9th10th
Listed most for
8th grade (7 of 26 cited list rows)
Difficulty for grade
Below the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
Age range
Ages 12–17
Pages
230
Reading time
about 4h 15m (est.)
First published
2007
Genre
Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316013697

Its Lexile (600L) is higher than 11% of the 53 books with a Lexile on our cited 8th grade lists.

Sources: Lexile from MetaMetrics as recorded in our catalog (method); grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-08-11; percentile computed from those lists; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 8?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

Reading difficulty: At 600L, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.

Reading below grade level? Kids who struggle with the print version often finish the assigned book by listening — try the audiobook free with an Audible trial. Affiliate link · trial for new members.

New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Book facts and sources (7)
Awards won
  • National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2007 (source: Wikipedia)
  • American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008 (source: Wikipedia)
On award reading lists
Named in curriculum frameworks
  • Common Core State Standards (ELA) (source: k12.wa.us)
Catalog record
First published 2007 · 230 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This young adult / semi-autobiographical fiction title reads at middle-grade prose complexity and is typically read at grades 7–10. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on Native American identity and poverty; cited on 8 lists: 1 state standards document, 6 book-award lists and 1 school or library reading list.

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

Show 2 more awards & assignments

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Common questions

Is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian hard to read for 7th grade?
At 600L, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately. For more titles like it, see books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
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. It appears on 8 school reading lists across 4 states, from grade 7 to grade 12. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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.
How long does it take to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
It takes about 4h 15m to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (230 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 255 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
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 American Indian Youth Literature Award, Battle of the Books (state reading programs), Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and 5 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

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 the curriculum sources cited on this page.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 8 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state's ELA framework or DOE list, and on state book-award lists in 3 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 20 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, read-aloud.

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