The Absolutely True diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney

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1. Bibliography

Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007. ISBN 9780316013680

2. Plot Summary

Fourteen-year-old Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, is a “poor-ass reservation kid living with his poor-ass family on the poor-ass Spokane Indian Reservation.” Because Junior was born with many medical problems, everybody on the rez calls him a retard about twice a day, so he mostly hangs out alone in his bedroom reading books and drawing cartoons. After a teacher at Wellpinit, Junior’s reservation school, tells him he deserves better and that he needs to leave the rez forever, he switches to Reardan - the rich, white school twenty-two miles away from the rez. He is both a misfit at Reardan and an outcast at the rez for leaving them behind. During his Freshman year at Reardan, Junior faces poverty, racism, alcoholism, and death. His resilience and determination to overcome his circumstances gives a message of hope to young adults.

3. Critical Analysis

What Sherman Alexie does best in this young adult novel is develop the character of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior. Any reader, young or old, can relate in some way to Junior’s struggle with identity and self-esteem. Junior explains that “My parents came from poor people who came from poor people who came from poor people, all the way back to the very first poor people.” His mother and father are drunks, and he says he is a zero on the rez - aside from his best friend Rowdy, his parents, sister, and grandmother. When his father tells him those white people aren’t better than him, he knows his father is dead wrong. “He was the loser Indian father of a loser Indian son living in a world built for winners.” While attending school in Reardan, Junior is stuck between two worlds - two different cultures - and he doesn’t belong and isn’t accepted in either one. The entire novel portrays his struggle for his identity.

Junior’s story is at times incredibly depressing, and at other times filled with hope. Junior has a front row seat to the destruction alcohol can bring. Almost every Indian he knows is a drunk. He has been to forty-two funerals in his short life, and 90 percent of those deaths have been caused by alcohol. Even in the book, his grandmother is killed by a drunk driver and his sister burns to death when her house catches on fire while she is passed out from drinking. Junior’s recognition of the destruction alcohol brings is, on its own, enough to bring hope. Forney’s illustration of Junior standing at a road sign with two arrows pointing toward “Rez” and “Home,” and two arrows pointing in the opposite direction toward “Hope” and “???” illustrates Junior’s journey towards hope.

Sherman Alexie’s portrayal of Junior as a Spokane Indian is culturally accurate and authentic. Alexie is himself a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene tribal member and grew up on a Spokane Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. Much of Junior’s character comes from Alexie’s own life experiences. Both were hydrocephalics, suffering many seizures throughout their childhood. Alexie also left the rez to attend school in Reardan, which aided in his future academic success.

Ellen Forney’s cartoon illustrations perfectly complement Alexie’s story. Because Junior is a cartoonist, it’s only natural that the illustrations that tell his story are cartoons as well. It’s as though he’s illustrating his own story. The illustrations are in black and white, and they authentically depict Spokane Indians with dark, long braided hair in contrast with the white kids with blond hair at Reardan. The timing of each illustration is perfect, bringing humor and reality to Junior’s story. While Junior is coping with loss, grief, alcoholism, and depression, the cartoon illustrations lighten the heavy load. They inject humor into an otherwise tragic and depressing story.

I think this would be an excellent young adult novel to use in the classroom. It not only teaches students about the reality of Native American life, but it is also a relatable novel for most students. The majority of students deal with at least one - and possibly all - of the issues Junior deals with in this novel, whether it’s poverty, alcoholic family members, death, identity, or self-esteem. Junior’s character has the potential to bring hope to students who think they are alone in their circumstances.

4. Review Excerpts

From BOOKLIST (August 1, 2007): "Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here.”

From KIRKUS (July 15, 2007): "Alexie nimbly blends sharp wit with unapologetic emotion in his first foray into young-adult literature.”

5. Connections

Have students write about a difficult experience in their own life that they have had to find the strength to overcome, like Junior’s character in the novel. It could be a single event or a series of events. Have students illustrate their writing with a cartoon illustration to bring humor and reality to the experience.

Show students the following interview with author Sherman Alexie. In the interview he talks about his life, leaving the reservation, and writing this novel.

When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales of Terror by Joseph and James Bruchac, and William Sauts Netamuxwe Bock

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1. Bibliography

Bruchac, Joseph and James, and William Sauts Netamuxwe Bock. When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales of Terror. New York: Walker and Company, 1998. ISBN 0802786383

2. Plot Summary

Stories about monsters have been told to Native American children for centuries. These stories are told for two reasons: to keep children away from danger and to warn them against bad behavior. The stories have been passed down from generation to generation. In this book, Joseph and James Bruchac have gathered some of their own favorite tales of terror to share with children beyond the Native American culture.

3. Critical Analysis

When the Chenoo Howls contains 12 Native American scary stories. The introduction to these stories explains that “Through the oral tradition, these legends have passed down tribal, regional, and family histories, stressed cultural philosophies, taught lessons, and amused Native audiences for thousands of years.” Author James Bruchac knows first-hand the value of these legends, as he and his brother grew up hearing them from his storyteller father, Joseph Bruchac.

In these stories, the monsters are almost always defeated by human beings, teaching children that they have the wit and strength to stand up to their own fears. In The Stone Giant, Skunny-Wundy defeats the Stone Giant by himself, keeping his entire village safe from the monster. In Man Bear, Swift Runner defeats Man Bear by tricking him and outrunning him. However, sometimes the monsters are not defeated, teaching children the values of not wandering too far from home, of good behavior, and of respect for their elders. In the story Ugly Face, Blue Sky is taken away by the monster Ugly Face because of his disrespectful, disobedient behavior toward his mother, and in the story The Spreaders, Azone is tortured by the Spreaders because he insists on camping in an unsafe area.

At the end of each story, James and Joseph Bruchac include an explanation about the monster in the story. They tell in which Native American tribe the legend was told, as well as other background information that is insightful for the reader. In addition to providing valuable information, these end-of-story notes lend authenticity to the legends. The authors also include a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. I personally found this guide to be very helpful during my reading. It allows readers to correctly pronounce and read unfamiliar Native American names and words. Again, this guide adds to the authenticity of the book. The authors know their culture and heritage well, and they immerse the reader in it.

The beginning of each story features a black and white illustration portraying the monster that is about to come alive in the story. By placing the illustrations at the beginning of the story, the reader can picture what the monster might have looked like throughout the reading. The illustrations show Native Americans in traditional dress with facial features typical of Native Americans - high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes. The monsters in the illustrations are huge in comparison to the humans, bringing fear to anyone who reads these stories.

4. Review Excerpts

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (December 1, 1998): "An interesting alternative for children who love horror stories."

From BOOKLIST (November 1, 1998): "A worthy addition to Native American folklore collections, this is also suitably frightening for fans of Schwartz's scary stories and San Souci's Short and Shivery collections."

5. Connections

Gather other books to read by Joseph Bruchac such as:

• Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back. ISBN 978-0698115842
• Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving. ISBN 978-0152060442
• Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. ISBN 978-0142405963

Have students write their own tale of terror. The tale should teach children a valuable lesson about safety or behavior, just like Bruchac’s tales.

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Cornelius Van Wright, and Ying-Hwa Hu

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1. Bibliography

Smith, Cynthia L, Wright, Cornelius V., and Ying-Hwa Hu. Jingle Dancer. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000. ISBN 0688162428

2. Plot Summary

Jenna is of Ojibway descent and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She daydreams about the “tink, tink, tink, tink” of her grandma’s jingle dancing - her favorite Native American tradition. She wants more than anything to jingle dance at the next powwow, but her dress “would not be able to sing. It needed four rows of jingles.” Jenna visits her Great-aunt, Sis, Mrs. Scott, and her cousin Elizabeth to borrow rows of jingles from them. After she borrows her fourth row from her grandma, she helps her grandma sew on all the jingles and practices her bounce-steps for powwow. At powwow, Jenna’s dress sings away as she jingle dances for everyone she borrowed jingles from.

3. Critical Analysis

Jingle Dancer is a simple story with a powerful message about Native American tradition and family. The story of Jenna and her gathering of jingles for her dress is simple in itself, but inherent in this story is the strong bond of her Native American family and their tradition of jingle dancing. When Jenna needs more rows for her dress, the first person she visits is her Great-aunt Sis. She has an obviously close bond with her great aunt, who lovingly gives a row of jingles to Jenna. Next, Jenna visits Mrs. Scott, who is not a family member, but part of her Native American community. Because of their tight-knit community Jenna’s bond with Mrs. Scott seems strong. Finally, Jenna visits her cousin Elizabeth and borrows a row of jingles from her as well.

The closest character to Jenna in this story is her grandmother. Jenna admires her grandmother, and especially her grandmother’s jingle dancing. It is her grandmother who gives Jenna her fourth row of jingles and spends each evening sewing them onto her dress. The elderly character of her grandmother who is carrying on the jingle dancing tradition points to the strength of tradition and family.

The number four is significant in this story. Jenna needs to have at least four rows of jingles for her dress to be able to sing. Four is a sacred number to Native Americans, as it represents the four seasons, the four moon stages, the four life stages, etc. Four jingles will bring her dress to life and make it sing. Nature is also a focus in this story. Native Americans have a great respect for nature and believe it is sacred. It is a strong part of their lives - their history, traditions, religion, and language. Throughout this book, Nature guides Jenna’s day. Smith includes phrases such as “As Moon kissed Sun good night,” “As Sun fetched morning, “As Sun arrived at midcircle,” “As Sun caught a glimpse of Moon,” and “As Moon glowed pale.” Not only is this a beautiful way to describe the time of day, but it places the emphasis on nature instead of time.

The “Author’s Note” on the last page of this story gives authenticity to Jenna’s story. Smith uses this note to talk about jingle dancing and its place in Native American history and tradition. She explains more about jingle dresses - what they look like and how they are made. She even explains that a new jingle dancer is a cause for great joy for a family. This makes Jenna’s character even more authentic since it was her first time to jingle dance.

Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu use watercolor illustrations to depict Jenna and her family as Native Americans of today. Their skin color and hair color are typical of Native Americans, and they live in modern houses in a suburban neighborhood. They cook in modern kitchens and wear typical American dress on an average day. However, at powwow, their illustrations show traditional dress - Jenna in her dance regalia, with others in traditional dress in the background. These watercolor illustrations are beautiful and bring Jenna and her family to life for the reader.

4. Review Excerpts

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (July 1, 2000): "This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture."

From BOOKLIST  (May 15, 2000): "The colorful, well-executed watercolor illustrations lend warmth to the story."

5. Connections

Gather other books written by Cynthia Leitich Smith such as:

• Indian Shoes. ISBN 978-0060295318
• Rain is Not My Indian Name. ISBN 978-0688173975

Visit Cynthia Leitich Smith’s website here for a curriculum guide for Jingle Dancer, including supplemental questions and links containing more information about Native American culture.

Book Trailer for Hana Hashimoto by Chieri Uegaki and Qin Leng