Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

[Ms. Flagg]

Paragraph 1:
Did you like/dislike the book? Provide at least TWO specific reasons for your opinion and explain them.

Paragraph 2: Reflecting
This book is banned (not allowed) in many school districts. Do you think it should be banned? Provide at least two reasons to support your opinion.

[Victoria]

I liked the book Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because i think it shows the life that some people are living and how different our life is. In the book Arnold lives on a reservation that is suffering poverty. Arnold transfers to an all white school and tries to fit in at first. Towards the end of the book he realizes that whites aren't as bad as his dad told him. Arnold eventually starts warming up to all the whites and even makes the basketball team. Arnold is a good example to all that if you put your mind into something you all get it. In the book, Arnold pretends that he left his money at home when him and his friends went out to get a snack after the dance. Arnold's friend Roger, lends him $40 and says "sure man just have fun." Arnold never realized how nice whites were and the meaning of friendship. Arnold starts to understand friendship throughout his journey at Rearden.

The book Absolutely True Diary of a Part- Time Indian should be allowed to read in schools because it can teach students how not everyone is as fortunate as them. When i read the book i realized that there are some parts of the world that aren't as fortunate as all of us are and they don't get as much as us. While we were reading the book i started getting more into reservations suffering poverty and realized that some major things can't be fixed due to money.This book should be allowed in schools because it can teach students many things about what people are suffering with.This book should also be read in schools because it can teach the reader if you put your mind to something you can get it. Arnold shows this throughout the book when he transfers to Rearden and also on the basketball team. This book should be read in many schools to show students the importance in poverty.

[Sonia]

I enjoyed reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because, it shows how someone can do their best and slowly reach their goal even when they are living in an environment where negativity spreads throughout everyone. in the book, a 14 year old native American boy named Arnold lives on the Spokane reservation and he struggles with poverty. his father is a heavy alcoholic along with many other native Americans on the reservation. Arnold use to go to a little highschool on the resrvation but was not getting the education he wanted so he decided to go to a rich white kid high school (Rearden) 22 miles away from the reservation. at first he was looked at as if he were an alien and he wasn't able to fit in. But after time, he made friends and was accepted into his new highschool. so throughout his year at Reardon, he realizes that white people aren't that bad. he was able to learn many things about others and himself.

This book should not be banned in any school districts. I say this because this book tells us how one kid, along with many others, has grown up with poverty, has had a "terrible life", but decided not to sit around a mope all day. This book shows that if youre not happy with your current situation, you need to get up and do something about it for yourself. Even if that means you loose your best friend. This book can and will teach many lessons to kids who may or may not be struggling with similar situations; or none at all. this boo should be read by any school district so kids can learn that you need hard work and dedication to get to where you want to be.

[Beau]

I liked reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because it shows how Arnold has hope. Arnold is a stuttering hydrocephalic living on the Rez where he usually gets beat up and bullied repeatedly. His parents drink, his sister stays in the basement and his best friend Rowdy is abused by his dad. Even if these things are happening to him, Arnold doesn't give up no matter how bad it is. Unlike other Indians on the Rez he has hope. He fights back and looks for other people for hope. He has a lot of strength to fight and decides hat he can turn his life around for the greater good. I love this because no matter how much pain his life is he doesn't give up. No matter the conditions he's living in. I also love Arnold never loses his sense of humor. I finding it exciting and hopeful, Even if he's faced with challenging obstacles such as poverty, bullying, he still manages to find humor in such tragic circumstances.

The book Absolutely True Diary of a Part- Time Indian should not be banned in the school districts. This is because even though this book has some language and crude detail, these are things that almost every high school student is already exposed to today. This book gives out a good message that even if you are poor, you can still achieve you dreams by working hard. This is exactly what Arnold does. He is in poverty but that doesn't stop him from getting a good education to accomplish his dreams. This book can teach you the importance of how you need hard work and commitment to achieve what you want to do in the future. Ultimately, this book should not be banned because this book gives out a good message and even if it is a little inappropriate, this is what high school kids experience every day.

[Ruby]

I liked the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because even though Arnold is leaving in poverty and alcohol plays a big negative role in his life Arnold still manages to say positive and hopeful. In the book Arnold is a fourteen year old Native American boy living on the spokane reservation where he and his family suffer through poverty. His parents are alcoholics, his sister dropped out of school and lives in the basement and Arnold's best friend Rowdy is constantly being abused by his dad. In the beginning of the book even though Arnold has a tough home life and all of his role model's dropped out of school, Arnold has enough positivity and decides he is going to transfer to a better school 22 miles from home called Reardan. Even though Arnold and his family are suffering through poverty Arnold still manages to have enough hope to make a future for himself at Reardan. Later on in the book after Arnold had been at Reardan for about a week the kids there hadn't been very nice and welcoming towards Arnold, but even so Arnold had enough courage to ask people to be his friends. For instance, Arnold saw he had a connection to Gordy and eventually worked up enough courage to ask Gordy to be his friend. In conclusion, I like this book because even though Arnold has so much negativity surrounding him he still manages to maintain hope.

The book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part- Time Indian should not be banned in school districts, I think this because even though it has some inappropriate language it isn't any language that the age group that would read it hasn't heard before. I also think it shouldn't be banned in school districts because even thought it talks about the negative aspects of Arnold's Native American life it also includes the positive parts as well. The book also sends a good message that is if you are living in a difficult situation you aren't stuck with it and if you work hard you will be able to make a change. In the end, this book should not be banned from school districts because it gives a good message.

[Genevieve]

I liked reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie because it shows how someone can take a different path then everyone else around them and still get far. Arnold is a 14 year-old boy living on a Spokane Indian reservation. While everyone on the reservation has no more hope and spend their days drinking away, Arnold does not want to grow up to be like them. He wants to get an education, and he can´t go to the school on the reservation if he wants that to happen. So he decides to go to Reardon, his only shot at his wish. One reason why I liked this book was because it showed how other people face their problems in different ways. For example, in the book Arnold used to just let other people push him around, but Rowdy fights back. Another reason why I liked this book was because it showed that even if you have the most messed up life ever, you can still have hope. For instance, with Arnold growing up in poverty and him being native american, he still has the guts to leave the reservation and get the education he always wanted.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian should not be banned from school districts. This book has many life lessons that students can learn from. One reason why this book should not be banned is because this book is an example of if you work hard enough, you can get somewhere in life. It is shown in the book when Arnold goes to Reardon, he works hard to try to make it through the year. In the end, he does. Another reason why this book should not be banned is because it shows how you should always have hope no matter the situations you are in, you just need to keep moving forward. An example in the book is when very important people in Arnold´s life dies, he still goes to school. Therefore, this book should not be banned from some student districts because it serves a good message to students.

[Tressa]

I liked reading The Absolutely Trye Diary Of A Part-Time Indian. Arnold, a 14 year old boy lives on an Indian reservation in Spokane, Washington. Arnold really enjoys learning unlike a lot of people on the reservation. He feels like the education on the reservation isn't taken seriously. He decides to go to another school, Reardan. Reardan is a school filled with rich, white kids. At first, Arnold feels like like all of the kids don't like him because he's not like them but he learns that the students there can be different. I enjoyed reading this book because even though there are very funny parts throughout the book, it is a very serious topic that teaches students and everyone reading it about stereotypes and how those stereotypes affect people. I also enjoyed the story line and the characters personalities. Even though Arnold lives on a reservation where people don't have a lot of hope, Arnold does and he feels like he has a future ahead of him. He is so determined to get a good education so he can have a great good life. Along with the characters personalities, I really liked reading about the characters interactions with each other. For instance, some students at Reardan such as Roger, Gordy and Penelope are nice to Arnold when he transferred schools. They helped him get through friend troubles with Rowdy who was Arnold's best friend back on the reservation.

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian shouldn't be banned from school districts because this book has many meanings throughout the story that can teach many kids. It shows a lot about stereotyping, poverty, and even friendship. It is important for students to learn about these topics and this book is a very good resource to go to in order to learn about this kind of information. The author, Sherman Alexie explains all of the imporatance in life in the book. He also shows how determination is very important because if you work and try hard enough, you can go far which is a very good message to send to not just students but everyone, even adults. Therefore, this book should be allowed in schools.

[Kayla]

I liked reading the book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because in the story, there was a powerful meaning to it. This book teaches readers about stereotypes and how it can affect others and their future. Arnold was known to have a damaged pathway in the future, where he will die being an alcoholic. However, Arnold wanted to take a new road and change his future. Arnold has hope and is very determined to go to a good college and have a good education. An example of this is when Arnold decides to go to Reardan with all the white kids and face through the stereotypes and reality. I also enjoyed the illustrations of Arnold's life because it was very funny and entertaining. For example, when Arnold was found out his sister died and was laughing hysterically in his dad's car. That made me laugh because Arnold was acting crazy and his dad was looking at him like he was drunk. Another thing I like about the book was when Arnold started to have long lasting friendships and bonds with the white kids. An example is when the crowd started cheering for Arnold when he was playing in the basketball finals.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian should not be banned from schools because the author, Sherman Alexie, explains the importance of friendship and the obstacles in life. This book has many meaning to teach students and people of all ages. It is crucial for kids to learn this in school so they can have a different perspective on the world and how they would treat their own lives differently. Sherman also shows the power of stereotypes and how it can affect people negatively. He wants to show the world that people like Arnold should change into a new leaf where it would lead them to the right path. Therefore, this book shouldn't be banned from schools.

[Finn]

I really enjoyed reading the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, because even though Arnold's life was very hard he still pushed through and survived. Arnold lives on a Spokane Reservation with an alcoholic father, his sister who lives in the basement and gave up on her hopes and dreams, and an ex alcoholic mother. On the Rez he gets beat up and bullied because he was born with hydrocephalus and he looks different. Then he decided to go to a school outside of the Rez called Reardan, then he got ignored by the people on the Rez and was called a traitor and was ignored and beat up by his best friend (who never used to beat him up). I really liked how strong Arnold was during this time and how he new that Reardan was best for hum, and didn't let the fact that people hated him for going there change his decision. Arnold has always been told that people who live on Reservations can't go to college, can't have a great job, and all they can do is be drunk and poor, Arnold realizes that that's not true at all, and everyone can achieve great things no matter what race you are. I liked how he realizes that he isn't defined by stereotypes. I really enjoyed reading the book because it shows that you can overcome horrible situations even if you think that you can't.

I don't think that the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part should be banned in school districts because it shows you that no matter how tough your life is you can still have hope. I also think that it shows us situations that we haven't even thought about like living on a Native American reservation and it shows us that everybody has a different life and we have to understand that and not be horrible to them. I also think that even though it is a little bit inappropriate, the people who are reading it are old enough to read it and have heard it already. In addition, it shows that just because your life is horrible right now that doesn't mean it can't get better and that other people can't tell you who you are or what to do with your life. The book brings up stereotypes and how in the beginning Arnold thought that all of the stereotypes about boys and Native Americans are true, but then in the end he realizes they aren't true. Therefore this book shouldn't be banned by school districts because it teaches the readers very important life lessons, and its a really good book.

[Cobey]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie because it showed that success can be accomplished even when you're struggling and that you will always be in a positive community. Arnold is a 14 year-old Indian that lives on the poor Spokane reservation with his alcoholic parents and his sister who has no hope at all. Since Arnold is poor, he doesn't have a good education which means that he won't be able to get out of the reservation and reach his hopes and dreams. However, he convinced his parents to switch him to a school filled with white kids called Reardan. He was determined to get a good education and accomplish his hopes of becoming an artist. There, he got a good education and many friends that soon got used to him and supported him. He overcame all the obstacles in his way that many people thought he couldn't overcome. He formed many friendships that he never thought would be possible and became pretty close with them. This book shows a teen who is struggling but is able to succeed in life with his courage. I really liked how Arnold drew his pictures and how much detail he put into it without really trying. I also liked the ending of the book because it made the reader infer that he succeeded in life. Therefore, I liked this book because it gives everybody a message about accomplishment.

I don't think that the book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" should be banned anywhere because it teaches people that only you can succeed in the things you want to do and that friendship is very important. Even though this book contains inappropriate words and phrases, it doesn't mean that this book doesn't teach you anything important. This book showed that Arnold got a good education even though he was in poverty and he had rough times. He didn't rely on other people to help him when he needed it the most but he accomplished things by himself. For example, he was the one who wanted to go to Reardan because he realized that if he stays on the rez, he will turn out like the other Native Americans and get drunk and die because of alcohol. Also, before Arnold went to school at Reardan, he had only one friend but when he went there, he soon got plenty of friends. They all supported him when he needed help like when his grandmother passed away. Ultimately, this book should not be banned anywhere because it teaches everybody some of the important things in life.

[Jessica]

I liked the book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie because it shows the importance of hope, self esteem, and how determination can help you get to where ever you want to go for the future, or in the present. Arnold is a 14 year old boy, living in the poor Spokane reservation. Arnold decides to leave the reservation school to go to Reardan, a predominately white school that is 22 miles away. For example, if Arnold never had the determination to one vs. one with Roger, he would've never made the basketball team. Making the basketball was important because if he never had, during the game versus Welpinit, his coach and team never would've cheered on for Arnold and gave Arnold hope, by telling him he could do it and he was the best player, etc. Another example is because how in "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" how Arnold changed his perspective on white people, and native Americans. before he though Indian's were useless and not as good as white people, but in the end he realized that, that stereotype wasn't true. I liked these parts because it shows Arnold becoming hopeful and determined.

I don't think that this book should be banned because it has many life lessons they we as students should be using for the future like gaining determination, confidence, and hope. For example Arnold had hope, which helped him get to Reardan and for his soon to be amazing life, if he didn't have hope he would've given up like everybody else on his reservation, and ended up a alcoholic, or like other Indians, dead. Which is important to us because it'll influence us to have hope in the future, so hopefully we will be as happy and successful as Arnold was. Another reason why this book shouldn't be banned is because it talks about stereotypes that most people have heard about, but don't really give a thought about to see if it's actually true or not. Arnold thought that all white kids had awesome lives, and amazing futures, unlike Indians but that wasn't true, white people aren't that different to some Native Americans. Therefore I don't think this book should be banned because it gives us a new perspective on stereotypes and teaches students life lessons which we should all have.

[Isidora]

In Sherman Alexie's novel, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", I enjoyed the determination of some of the characters to be better by wanting more for themselves. In the beginning of the book, Arnold only had on friend, Rowdy, and he was going to a really bad school that had thirty-year old textbooks. Mary lived in the basement. As the book progressed, Arnold chose to go to a school with a good education and made some new friends and Mary got married,moved to Montana and started writing a book. Despite being victims of poverty, Arnold and Mary both chose to go look for more instead of going nowhere in life. While all the other native americans on the reservation just froze and waited for things to happen to them, they picked their futures. I enjoyed this book because of the characters' choices.

I don't believe that the novel, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", should be banned because it can teach people to do what they want and not what other people want them to do. In the book, Arnold decides to go to a school pre-dominantly filled with white kids and the other native americans do not agree with his decision. Arnold did what he wanted to do instead of what was expected of him. Next, according to Arnold, native americans live close to their family. During the story, Mary moved to Montana! Mary did what she wanted to do. This book shouldn't be banned because of the important life lessons it teaches to readers.

[Rachel]

I liked the book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie because you really got to know the main character, Arnold. The way Alexie shared his feelings and explained them really helped you to get to know him. For example, when he was at his sisters funeral, you really could understand how he was feeling and the ways it affected him. Another example is that whenever he was upset or felt like he didn't belong, Arnold got his feelings out by making cartoons. By doing this, you could tell how he felt without saying it clearly. Something very interesting that Alexie does is that he doesn't explain how Arnold feels very clearly. You have to look for hints and clues on his emotions. However, since the reader does get to know Arnold very well by the middle of the book it is clear on how he is feeling.

I do not think that "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" should be banned from schools because it teaches a very good lesson. If not throughout the book, by the end you learn a very big lesson. You learn that everyone is equal and should be treated equally. Alexie shows this by showing that Arnold, an indian boy, can go to an all white school and still fit in. That should teach kids that equality is important. Also, this book is a good way to teach kids how to not sprint read and really understand what is going on in a text because not all books will have a clear message or lesson.

[Samantha]

I enjoyed reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie because it teaches the readers to have hope in a negative situation and that there are many poor kids that don't have the advantages we do. Arnold is a fourteen year old boy living in a poor Spokane Indian Reservation. Being surrounded by negativity, alcoholics, and hopeless people, Arnold decides to go to a rich white kid high school twenty two miles away from the reservation called Reardan. Arnold decided to go to Reardan because he didn't want to end up like most of the other indians on the reservation. He wanted to have a bright future and get a good education. Arnold proved this when he threw his old geometry book at his teacher an told his parents he wanted to attend Reardan. Another reason why I like this book is because it compares the different lives that people are living. After the dance at Reardan, Arnold and some of his white friends decide to go out to dinner even though he knows that he won't be able to pay for anything. One of his friends Roger lent him forty dollars to pay for dinner like it was nothing, he just handed him the money from his wallet and that's it.This shows that some people are less fortunate than others and it is what Sherman Alexie is trying to show.
I don't think this book should be banned because it teaches students a lot about poverty and about different life styles. It also teaches them to have hope and to appreciate the things they have in life knowing that know everyone has them. A book shouldn't be banned just because it has curse words. On the contrary. It shows that whoever reads the book is a high level reader and that they should take it seriously. Most kids have already experienced this kind of language and it doesn't help anyone that they are just trying to hide it by banning a very challenging and powerful book. There are also many useful life lessons that students can use in the future.

[mia]

I liked the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I liked it because it gave me a different point of view on other peoples lives. In the book Arnold decided he wanted to go to Reardon, the high school, which only has a 50% graduation rate. Arnold thought that was really good because he goes to a high school where no one graduates. When Arnold said this I was very surprised because as I look at high schools if I saw only a 50% graduation rate I would not want to go their, but for Arnold that’s really good because he goes to a high school where no one graduates. Also, when Arnold was celebrating Christmas his father left for almost a week, and when he came back Arnold’s dad only gave him five dollars. This was really different for me and very strange, because in my family we do a big Christmas and are all together. So when I read about this in the book it was like seeing something threw someone else’s eyes.

I think the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is very educational and that the book should not be banned from school districts. When I was reading the book I was very surprised by things going on, on the Reservations, and this was good because it opened my eyes to things going on. I think that this book is really good at showing how everyone is going threw something. Also this book shows us that everyone is similar and we are all going threw the same things just in different ways.

[Kai]

I highly enjoyed reading Sherman Alexies realistic fiction book The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian for multiple reasons. One reason is that it describes incite that most people do not realize and it teaches these people. For example, most people do not realize how close Indian people are. This is one of the main points Arnold talks about. Another example is that some Indians still want to assimilate and get jobs, rather than become alcoholics and stay on the reservation, such as Arnold. Another reason I enjoyed the book is because it has a good cross between comical and serious. For example, when Arnold describes personal actions such as masturbating. Another example is when he is serious about talking about the Welpinits basketball team and how most of them did not eat breakfast or have alcoholic parents.

I do not think Sherman Alexies realistic fiction book The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian should be banned from school districts. One reason I think this is because none of the information distributed within the book is a lie. It is an honest book that includes disturbing facts, not incorrect facts. Another reason I think the book should not be banned is because a person can learn a lot from the book. It can help a person appreciate what they have more and help them realize there are worse problems that a person can have.

[MacKay]

I liked "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because it portrays how real life can be; full of racism, stereotypes, truths, and lies. Sherman Alexie doesn't sugarcoat anything, and I think that that is an extremely important quality in authors. But its also shows how great the world can be; having friends to stick up for you, having a loving, caring family, and showing the world how great you can be. Alexie gives his readers insights on the life of a teenager with extremely troubling circumstances and living in a hard times for Native Americans like himself. When I read the part about Arnold going to Reardan for the first time, I remembered my first day at Wagner. We were both worried about being ridiculed and embarrassed, both didn't know anyone, and both were scared of whether it would be an experience we enjoyed. We were both the new kid, feeling alone, and feeling hopeless at times. I think that this is why I like this book so much. I relate to Arnold, I relate to Rowdy, I can even relate to Penelope. I feel like no on e cares about me sometimes like when Arnold's dog died, I feel incredibly angry sometimes, like when Rowdy found out Arnold was feeling alone, and sometimes I feel like I have to put on a good show, like when Penelope hid that she's bulimic to stay pretty and popular. Relating to characters is probably my favorite aspect of this book.


I absolutely do not think that people/places should ever ban this book, because while there is vulgar language and inappropriate descriptions, ATD provides some incredibly powerful and meaningful themes, such as not all stereotypes are true, or that you are your own person, or that any good friend will always have your back. All of these themes-and so many more- provide good examples to people struggling with their own issues. This is a very rare concept in a book; it's humorous, yet inspirational and meaningful. Another thing that this amazing book provides is knowing that some of this was based off of actual events. Sherman Alexie's life was incorporated into the book, so people know they can feel the love, the peace, the hope that Arnold feels and that Sherman Alexie wasn't making some of the feelings and events up. I think that this is very reassuring and this is why this book should not be banned.

[kat]

I liked the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie because it shows how much someone can accomplish when they try and have hope. Arnold is a fourteen year-old boy that goes to Reardan, which was an all white school. Arnold became the first Indian person to go to that school. Although his friend on the reservation became mad at him for going to Reardan. In the end, Arnold made up with Rowdy, his friend on the rez, and made many more white friends at school. It was very brave of Arnold to take the leap and go to Reardan in the first place. Indians usually don't do that, they are most likely to become a drunk, instead of someone successful. Arnold became somebody that would fight for a better education and life. He also overcame stereotypes, he kept labeling people. Thinking that white people were better than Indians, but in truth they are not. White people and Indians, are similar in some ways. And when Arnold realized that, he became more accepting. I liked the book because it showed how determined somebody can be, and sometimes striving for you dreams can be difficult, although it's a test of patience and hope to make in to the end.

This book should not be banned, because it gives examples of how hopefulness and hopelessness can play apart in someones life. Arnold is surrounded by people who drink. Three people he knew died in a drinking related accident. He knows not to drink because he can see how it affects others. And being surrounded by all this hopelessness, gives him hope that he will be the person that breaks the trend, and become successful. Also it presents different relationships. For example, Arnold makes friends with the white people, but his friendship with Rowdy will never end, no matter what, because they've been together for a long time. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, should not be banned because shows how things change but in the end it's up to you to either have hope for the future or give up and become hopeless.

[Janette]

I enjoyed reading the book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. I enjoyed reading this book because it teaches the readers that stereotypes can effect people. Arnold is a fourteen native american boy, who lives in the spokane reservation. His parents are alcoholics and no one on the reservation cares for the childrens education. Arnold is the only one who does care for his education so he decides to go to Reardan. Reardan is a high school with mostly white people. Even though arnold feels like he doesnt belong there because he is native american, he trys to fit in and have an education which he really wants. I also enjoyed reading this book because I liked how close everyone was to eachother and they supported one another. For example, towards the end of the book Arnold and Roger got so close to eachother. When the basketball team was playing against arnolds old school, roger and his whole team told him that he could do it. Arnold gained more confidence because of that.

I do not think this book should be banned. I think that this book teaches the reader many important things about stereotypes, the effect of stereotypes and friendship. The readers can gain alot of information about life which will help them. Also this book was fun to read. The author, Sherman Alexie did a very good job hooking the reader in and including pictures to show arnold's thinking. Overall, I dont think this book should be banned.

[Harry]

I loved reading Sherman Alexie's realistic fiction book "The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian" for several reasons. One reason is that it shows how most people do not realize what life has to offer and what you do what that offer. For example, most people don't realize how the Indian group is so close and the bonds are unbreakable, This is one of the main points Arnold expresses as he starts to realize that he has an opportunity to change, while other Reservation Indians don't realize that they have opportunity to have a life and hope. Another example is that some Indians still want to have a good life and get a great finical status, rather than become alcoholics and be grounded in their community, such as Arnold. Another reason I loved the book is because it has a good mix of being serious and funny. For example, when Arnold describes how his hormonal activities happen, he isn't very serious. Another example is when he is serious about talking about how the loss of Wellpinit's basketball team meant more to them than the win he gained because they suffer much more than Arnold does even though they live in the same area, because their parents don't eat their children. Such as Rowdy because when he were to get home from the basketball game he would probably get beat up because he lost and didn't have a great performance. Basically, Arnold realizes that when life gives you an opportunity, you have to take it.

I don't believe this book should be banned because it gives a great message to every person in the world and especially people who deal with Arnold's experience. Even though this book might give out wrong stereotypical ideas there;s more than that in the book. The book also gave you an outlook in life on hopefulness and hopelessness. For instance, Arnold is completely surrounded by alcoholics. Three people who he knew died in a drinking related accident. He has knowledge that if he drinks his whole life can turn around in a negative way, from being surrounded by all this hopelessness, it gives him hope that he will be that "Reservation Indian" who is different than other. To conclude, I don't believe this book should be banned because even though it might be a bit stereotypical the message being sent overrides that thought.

[Mason]

I liked the reading book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. I really enjoyed reading the book because i learned many things about the past of how people discriminated towards people because of what they look like but also where they live. I also learned that not everything you see from the outside is always true but the inner side is what is most important. Also i liked the book because it was a amazing story of a native american and how he survives in a school who are not related to him at all but also his determination in school, at the rez, but also while playing basketball. Another reason i liked the book is that in the book, there were many funny party when Arnold and his friends like Gordy, Roger, and Rowdy talk about funny things but also the way Arnold talks about his love life. This is important because it can teach readers the true importance on why the author wanted to write this book but to also learn a lesson that all people are the same and that we are never different.

I do not think this book should be banned because it is a good use for educational purposes and is not teaching readers negative facts about native americans. Also it shouldn't be banned because the even though the book is about a young native american and how he lives his life, people should read to book to understand how discrimination and the way people treat each other has affected the people in the book but also how it can relate to readers and their life.

[Arielle]

I really enjoyed reading The Absolutely True Diaries of a Part-Time Indian because it was very interesting to read about lives so different from our own and I also liked the comics which made reading the book more pleasurable to read. For example, when I first started reading the book, learning about the Indian lifestyle was surprising to me yet also very intriguing since it's so different from my own. I did not have any experience dealing with alcoholism while on the reservation most children have to face alcohol and drugs in their daily life. Another reason why I enjoyed this book was because of the comics. The comics and illustrations made heavy topics that Arnold talked about more comfortable to read. Also, it gave a better picture of what was going on inside Arnold's head.

I do not think The Absolutely True Diaries of a Part-Time Indian should be banned because people should have to face the reality that many people are not living in as good conditions as many Americans today. Also, banning certain books from children might promote further judgement in the future since they are taught to not read the book and they will not be exposed to different cultures.

[Ben]

I enjoyed reading the realistic fiction novel, "The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian". The book introduced me to the culture of reservation Indian. I really understood what it would be like to live there. I also could relate to this story in some ways. Although I'm not a Native American like Arnold. I am someone who has been in a big fight with a friend before, such as Arnold was with Rowdy. I also can relate to the stereotypical aspect of the book. We see stereotypes and judgements made about people because of there race, gender, and religion everyday in our world.

I do not believe that this book should be banned from any school. Although this book may have some inappropriate language, and is about what may somewhat of a controversial topic. This book is very educational. It teaches people about the culture of reservation Indians and what happens if hey go against there culture. This book also educated children (and adults) about the dangers of alcohol/drug abuse. We learn this through all the drama in Arnold's family it has caused and all the tragedies that have recently occurred in his life. Another reason the book should not be banned is because it shows that even if you are poor, you can still achieve your goals. Arnold's family had barley any money but he was still able to succeed in many ways.