Tag: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Top Ten Banned Book: Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
If number of challenges are a marker of the serious themes of a book, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is worthy of close attention as one of the top ten most challenged books of all time. The novel features a teenager born with disabilities including encephalitis, who has grown up on a reservation in Spokane, Washington. Fourteen-year-old Arnold, or “Junior” is a cartoonist and book worm with a fiercely protective best friend, Rowdy. Soon after they start freshman year, Junior transfers from a school on the “rez” to one in a small white town, 22 miles away. Although his parents support his decision, everyone else on the rez sees him as a traitor. Throughout the book, Junior struggles with questions about community and identity. He is determined to improve himself and overcome poverty despite the challenges of birth and race. Cartoons and dark humor illuminate the serious themes of the book in a way that even the most reluctant readers can connect with and enjoy.
Why are there 11 most challenged books this year?
The State of America’s Libraries 2019 report includes a snapshot of censorship in libraries, schools and universities; who initiates challenges, where are they taking place, and what are the reasons?
Intellectual Freedom News 5/25/2018
Teacher’s dilemma: Should author’s bad behavior ban the book? ‘Fahrenheit 451’ to ‘A Wrinkle in Time’: 13 banned books adapted for the screen; Trump’s Blocking of Twitter Users Is Unconstitutional, Judge Says
Leading Against Censorship: An Interview with Librarian Lynn Evarts
Part of the Librarians Lead Against Censorship blog series. The Sauk Prairie High School Librarian, Lynn Evarts, remained very close to the situation throughout its unfolding and provided key leadership to the community on the matter. For her efforts, Evarts, plus her colleagues, earned the 2017 Lee Burress Intellectual Freedom Award from the Wisconsin Council of English Teachers.
Intellectual Freedom News 10/13/2017
New Issue of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy;
Oakland Public Library takes action against Islamophobia;
Overdue fees: Barriers to access in school libraries
Intellectual Freedom News – 8/18/2017
Charlottesville, Hate Speech, LGBT Library Displays and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Approved in Conejo Valley
Intellectual Freedom News 7/21/2017
“Perfect Chemistry” banned in Colorado, free webinar for Banned Books Week, and new resolutions and interpretations adopted at ALA’s annual conference in Chicago.
Sherman Alexie Challenged Twice in One Month
It seems the upper Midwest has a problem with Sherman Alexie. Within one month, his 2007 novel ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’ has been challenged in two school districts.
Intellectual Freedom News 5/26/17
Net neutrality under attack; Protecting Patron Privacy: A LITA Guide; Federal Court Revives Wikimedia’s Challenge
Intellectual Freedom News, 3/3/17
Gay “Captain Underpants”; Milo Yiannopoulos; Open Carry in Libraries; and current challenges to “A People’s History of the United States,” “The Color Purple,” “The Bluest Eye,” “The Kite Runner,” “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” “Stuck in the Middle,” and “The Glass Castle”