He wants what’s good for him, but he doesn’t want to do so at the expense of his personal history nor the greater history of his culture. Junior longs for the balance between his heritage and the future he wants for himself beyond the borders of the reservation. Because of his choice to leave the rez for school, he’s ostracized by his tribe and members of his own family. Alexie’s book is about taking control of your future while also hoping to “fit in.” Main character Junior leaves his poor and problematic school on the Spokane Indian Reservation and begins attending a school where he’s the only non-white student.As always, not all of the books recommended will be perfect fits for all readers nor are they “the next” Diary but with this range of options, it should be easy to find a title - or author - that strikes a chord. What’s great about this particular novel and next reads is that there was no work involved in developing a diverse set of books that hit upon many of the things that make Alexie’s book so popular. I’ve included a mix of possibilities that tackle some of the most appealing parts of Alexie’s novel. If you’re a fan of Diary, there are a lot of next reads worth trying. While Alexie’s novel is a regular on the bestsellers list and has been awarded major accolades, including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, sales of the book spike when the title is being challenged (you may remember this happened last year when one parent called the book “racy” and said it was akin to “ Fifty Shades for kids“).

In the spirit of continuing the discussion of diversity, it seems appropriate to talk about one of the few books that’s hit the New York Times Young Adult Bestsellers list in recent memory written by an author who identifies as Native and whose main character is not white: Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

The true story of a part time indian