About the Book

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The 2011 One Maryland One Book selection is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a semi-autobiographical work by Sherman Alexie. 

Best selling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Arnold Spirit (a.k.a Junior), a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school "on the rez" to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.  The novel, a 2007 National Book Award winner, tackles poverty, bullying and family struggles. 

Read reviews, listen to Alexie reading an audio clip, and discover other resources on our Readers Resources page.

Awards for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian:

2009 Peter Pan Award, Sweden 
2009 Odyssey Award for audio version, produced by Recorded Books, LLC
2008 Washington Book Award - the Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award for middle grades & young adults
2008 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature in Fiction 
2008 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children 
2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Children's Literature Honor Book
2008 Pacific Northwest Book Award 
2008 American Indian Library Association American Indian Youth Literature Award
2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature 
2007 Los Angles Times Book Prize Finalist 
Publishers Weekly 2007 Best Books of the Year - Children's Fiction
The New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2007 
Los Angeles Times Favorite Children's Books of 2007 
National Parenting Publication Gold Winner 2007 
Barnes & Noble 2007 Best for Teens 
School Library Journal Best Books of 2007
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books of 2007 (pdf file) 
Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of 2007 
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Winner 
Kansas City Star's Top 100 Books of the Year