# The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

**Author:** Sherman Alexie
**Lexile:** 600L
**Grade range:** Grades 7–10
**Age range:** 12–17
**First published:** 2007
**Page count:** 230
**Genre:** Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780316013697`
**ISBN-10:** `0316013692`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## 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 age recommendation: 13+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · 8th grade — [source: CCSS ELA grades 6-8 contemporary YA exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · Washington — [source: WA OSPI 8th grade — Spokane-set National Book Award winner](https://www.k12.wa.us/)
- **recommended** · 9th grade — [source: CCSS ELA grades 9-10 Native American voice exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)

## Banned / challenged record

Documented removals or formal challenges in at least one school district in 6 states: FL, TX, MO, WY, OR, WA. Source: [PEN America's Index of School Book Bans](https://pen.org/banned-book-list/) 2022-2024.

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