I was glad that this was the book we chose for the next installment of the CBR book club. I had been meaning to read it for ages. And while it wasn’t what I expected (first off, this book was way more “Y” than I generally expect in a “YA” book), it certainly didn’t disappoint. Arnold “Junior” Spirit lives on a Spokane reservation in rural Washington (I think) with his mother, father, sister, and grandmother. They live in poverty, familiar with hatred and racism, engulfed […]
Cannonball Book Club Reads Young Adult – Book Announcement!
I promised an interesting vote, and our Cannonballers did not disappoint, eking out a victory by 5 votes Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian will be our Young Adult book club choice for September 1. This book has been on my personal to read list for quite awhile so I am glad it was picked, and the two runners up, The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness and Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston will be joining by to […]
Moar Sherman Alexie [even if it’s so short]!!!!!
It’s no secret around these parts that I’m a huge Sherman Alexie fan. And while most of his works would be considered adult, I absolutely freaking loved his young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I’ve been really hoping that he would write more works for young readers. And when I found out about Thunder Boy, Jr., I realized that my wish was coming true. I explain in my full review why I am still a bit disgruntled with Sherman Alexie–even […]
“If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.”
Well, I’m not surprised that this YA novel got a lot of press when it came out for it’s “controversial material” (a.k.a., sex and violence). But I don’t think that should keep it out of school libraries and kids’ hands. The sex and violence does not come from a place intending to titillate — instead, Alexie uses it to tell the truth about a society that a lot of people know little to nothing about. “Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a […]
Should be required reading for everyone
Arnold “Junior” Spirit doesn’t exactly have an easy time of it. Born poor and hydrocephalic, it’s pretty much a miracle that he survived infancy. Suffering from stuttering, his over-large head, bad eyesight and frequent seizures, he’s routinely picked on by both children and adults on the Spokane reservation, finding solace in basketball, his drawing and his best friend Rowdy. When Junior transfers away from the school on the reservation to get a chance at a real education, Rowdy feels deeply betrayed, like Junior’s sold out […]
A terrific and groundbreaking short story collection
Two things before I launch into my review(s): (1) being an adjunct professor of anything takes all your free time, including reading; (2) it’s easier to take back time reading books than writing reviews. I’m seriously like ten reviews behind, and I actually jotted this one down a few weeks ago, but haven’t actually typed it up. I’m glad it’s only September. I need to catch up and move back into my regular groove! Okay, onto the good stuff. I first read a short story […]