The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. NY: Little Brown.

This is a first-person narrative by a Native American teenager, Arnold Spirit, Jr., who goes by the name "Junior". Junior was born with a lot of medical problems, and as a result is picked on by almost everyone that lives on his reservation, except for his best friend, Rowdy. Junior is an excellent student and is persuaded by one of his teachers to leave the reservation high school and go to a school that would give him better opportunities to do something different with his life. When he first arrives at the all white school, Junior struggles to fit in, but after a while begins to make some friends. As Junior takes us through his entire first year at his new high school, readers see all of the achievements, as well as difficulties that he encounters, and his unique way of dealing with many tough issues. This is an excellent read for children in middle school and high school that shows them how to never give up even when you're placed in difficult situations.