About the book: Arnold Junior is a boy who was born on an Indian reservation very sick, with cerebral spinal fluid on his brain. He had a damaged brain from birth and seizures. He also was very smart in school. Junior wants to leave the reservation in search of something better. He does not want to be stuck in a dead-end cycle like his parents and grandparents before them. He becomes frustrated one day and threw a book at a teachers face, not on purpose. The Teacher Mr. P. visits him and convinces him to have hope and to get out while he can. So Junior decides to transfer schools. The reservation kids don’t respect him anymore and his best friend (Rowdy) has become his enemy. He becomes part of the Reardan community and begins to see hope. But then tragedy strikes his grandmother dies, his dad’s best friend and his sister also die. He blames the bad fortune on his choice to leave the reservation. He joins the basketball team and becomes a star player for the team. This gives him hope. He also has hope that Rowdy and him will become best friends again or at least friends that don’t punch each other.
Readers Response: Including an excerpt from the book The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian during a booktalk will help the reader get a glimpse into Junior’s life. The book is an excellent example of social dynamics between cultures. I might read the chapter where Junior and the Reardan Varsity basketball team go to the reservation for their first away game against his old school. The way his team is treated is shocking. Of course this book has lots of great parts that could be picked to share depending on the over all theme of your booktalk.
Book Trailer made by high school students:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXCSwsBlWZo
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