Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexi

14 year old Junior lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He has a lot of medical problems and is picked on and beat up all of the time. Junior decides one day that he wants to attend Reardan, the rich, white high school 22 miles from "the rez".

His alcoholic parents agree to let him attend, but can't guarantee that they'll always have money to buy gas for the car to drive him there.

Junior, of course, has a difficult time fitting in at Reardan. Things start to gradually change for the better,though, when Junior punches "Roger the Giant", one of the school jocks. Junior is used to fighting by the "unofficial and unwritten Spokane Indian rules of fisticuffs" which pretty much guarantees many fights in one's lifetime. Roger, however, doesn't play by the "rules" and walks away when Junior punches him.

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian will make you laugh and cry. It's a quick read that both boys and girls in grades 8 and up should enjoy. And unlike most novels for teens, it has illustrations.

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The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The thief in this story is Gen. Gen has been plucked from prison to help steal a precious stone in a remote temple of the gods. There is plenty of action and suspense, great storytelling and surprising revelations in this first book of a trilogy. And the book is well written. For those of you interested in such things, the book was a 1997 Newbery Honor book.

The Thief is one of those books with wide appeal. Males and females from grades six through adult should enjoy it. Look here for the library's copy.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

13 year old Lakshmi's peaceful yet hard-scrabble life in Nepal is shattered when she is sold into prostitution by her gambling stepfather. Lakshmi is taken hundreds of miles away to a brothel in India where she is held virtually a prisoner.

This is not an easy book to read. The language is sparse and poetic which makes the book a fast read. But the topic is unfortunately all too realistic. In the author's notes at the end of the book, Patricia McCormick discusses her research and her encounters with girls who have had similiar experiences to her character, Lakshmi. Look here for the library's copy.