Happy Banned Books Week! This week, September 22-28, 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) will lead the country in discussions about book banning. And with good reason. In the past few years, book challenges have grown exponentially, with individual people or groups of people challenging multiple titles at one time. This trend has sparked increased concerns among book lovers. I want to highlight a few of the trends and share a review of a book that has made the top ten banned book list for several years, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. First, let’s look at some data.
Book banning trends in 2023
Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), a part of the ALA, collects data about book challenges based on reports from librarians and news stories. When a person or group asks for a book to be removed from a collection or classroom, that’s a book challenge. When the material is removed, that’s considered a book ban.
2023 was a significant year for book banning. Persons or organizations targeted 4240 unique titles for removal from libraries! That’s half the number of books in my local middle school library! The number of challenges jumped by 65% over the data from 2023. The increase alone is concerning, but the OIF noted four trends:
- Groups challenged multiple titles at once, which is a new, but growing, trend.
- There were more challenges filed a public libraries in 2023- an increase of 92%. School libraries and classrooms aren’t the only targets.
- Almost half of the challenges were of books that featured LGBTQIA characters and/or themes OR people of color.
- There were at least 100 books challenged in 17 states. That’s one third of our country, and includes my home state of Virginia!
For more details on the data, visit the American Library Association website.
Banned book review
A librarian friend shared a copy of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. The YA novel is based on Alexie’s own experience, being born with hydrocephalus and growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Spokane, Washington. I knew it had been challenged frequently over the past few years and decided it was time I learned more about this novel that won the National Book Award for young people’s literature in 2007.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian has been challenged for several reasons, including profanity, sexually explicit content, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author. I confirm the book includes frequent swearing, and on more than one occasion, the main character references masturbating. And according to NPR, around 2018, several woman accused the author Sherman Alexie of inappropriate sexual behavior. He publicly responded that “there are women telling the truth” and apologized for hurting people.
Despite the controversial content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is an insightful book that offers thoughtful reflections on the challenges of growing up on an American Indian Reservation and choosing to deviate from what everyone in your culture expects you to do.
What I liked
Arnold, the main character and narrator of Part-Time Indian, endures many challenges. His father drinks too much and disappears on occasion. In fact, alcoholism plagues many of his friends and family on “the rez.” And he was born with hydrocephalus, which caused seizures and made his head big. As he says in the opening chapter,
My head was so big that little Indian skulls orbited around it. Some of the kids called me Orbit. And other kids just called me Globe. The bullies would pick me up, spin me in circles, put their finger down on my skull, and say, “I want to go there.” So obviously, I looked goofy on the outside, but it was the inside stuff that was the worst.
Arnold has a lot going against him. However, he’s very smart, and very brave. In high school, he decides he wants something more for his life. He transfers to an all white school in the all white town of Reardon so he can get a better education. Some days, when his dad doesn’t have money for gas or the wherewithal to drive, Arnold hitchhikes from the rez to get to school. His choice to attend Reardon gets him shunned by his Indian tribe and bullied by the white kids at his new school. Despite the obstacles, he persists.
Throughout his trials, Arnold makes astute observations about life and people. Regarding addiction, he says, “There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away.” Another time, after a new friend from Reardon drives him home, Arnold says, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing.”
After his grandmother dies, Arnold finds very constructive ways to deal with his grief without any support from the adults in his life. Primarily he makes lists- of people who bring him joy, of musicians who play joyous music, of his favorite books. He is a resourceful and observant character, and one I loved reading about.
What I didn’t like
I could have done without the cussing or the sexual commentary, however, I also know some teens use vulgar language. Part Time Indian portrays the life of a Native American teen with unapologetic realism – the dialogue and habits of its characters fit the context.
Word Nerd Recommendation
Despite some objectionable content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian offers some thoughtful and nuanced observations on the challenges of growing up as a Native American on a reservation. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning about understanding people different from themselves and who like a good underdog story. (The book ends well for Arnold. 🙂 )
Have you read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian? What did you think? Have you read any other books that have been targeted for banning? See my reviews of some other commonly banned and challenged books via the links below.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
