article: Banned: The Absolutely True Diary...

 

BANNED: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/banned

 

Published in 2007, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior, a 14-year-old growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation whose frustration with his poverty-stricken school district leads him to attend high school off the reservation, at an all-white school 22 miles away. Sherman Alexie’s partly-autobiographical novel takes readers on an illustrated journey through a year in the life of Junior, chronicling his experience as the only Indian at his new school (with the exception of the school mascot). The details of his day-to-day life are laid bare — everything from bullying to his crush on a popular girl to a rift with his best friend on the reservation. Junior also writes about the tragic repercussions of alcoholism, including the death of some family members.

The coming-of-age novel, which is often taught at the middle and high school levels, has been a fixture on the American Library Association’s list of banned and challenged books. Its “excerpts on masturbation,” and “vulgarity, racism, and anti-Christian content” have come under fire. Others have claimed that the book is “encouraging pornography.”

Lynn Frick is a high school English teacher in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. In 2016, her teaching of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in her freshman classes was challenged by several parents in the school district. Ultimately, the school committee voted in favor of keeping the book in the curriculum. American Experience spoke with Frick about teaching the book.

 

Why do you think this book should be taught in schools?

For me ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Many novels that land on the list of banned or challenged books are what we call “coming-of-age” novels. Why do you think that is?  

I think ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the reaction within the school when this book was challenged?

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