TAYSHAS 2008-2009

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian-

This story is about 14 year Arnold Spirit, who was born in Spokane Indian reservation. He was born with " water on the brain" and had brain surgery. As a result, he struggles with seizures and awkard looking physical features. Arnold is determined to leave the his life of poverty and alcoholism at the reservation. He enrolls at Reardan, an all white high school twenty miles away from the reservation. There Arnold struggles to fit in but eventually he makes friends, starts dating "sort of" and becomes part of the winning varsity baseketball team. This story shows how one person surpasses the most difficult situations in life to obtain his own identity.

This is a very sad story, but the use of shorter chapters and the diverse language make it a great book. You will find yourself cheering for the main character, who makes great strides throughout the story.