The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Before reading this book, I was expecting a serious book about the everyday life on a reservation. I was beyond surprised to read the comedy and sarcasm throughout the book. In this book, Junior is a young Indian who lives on a reservation, but changes his mind about his path through adulthood since he decided not to attend their school. While it seems like he moves schools and unfortunate things keep happening along the way, he manages to still see the light in the darkest situations. I believe any teen could benefit from this book in so many ways. Junior is very admirable because he chooses between staying on the reservation with a predictable life or moving away and starting new adventures. I know that students would benefit from Junior and his optimism in even the darkest situations.

Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2009). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. London: Little, 

                 Brown Books for Young Readers.