Niya Cephas: The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

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My overall experience with this book was absolutely great. My first thoughts on the book before I even started to read was that I would not be able to connect with it or spark up an interest. But boy was I wrong. Not only did Junior but Alexie as well made me laugh, cry, contemplate over things I've never contemplated over and overall make me feel good about reading this book. 

 As the book progressed on I got a look into Junior's life and just how he comes in contact with numerous events and people who make a big impact on his life. Although he is only fourteen, Junior has a very self-aware and mature mindset to the events he comes in contact with. From him being dirt poor to him loosing three extremely important people in his life. Throughout the book he takes these events and found different ways to cope with them. Alexie did an amazing job with writing this book on a level that young adults today can definitely relate to. Although the book is written in such a way that would draw young readers in i.e the teenage boy jokes and the drawings throughout, Alexie touches on a lot of heavy topics that not only happen to Indian people but other races as well. My connection to this was that I could see the genuineness of a fourteen year old boy experiencing these things and writing about them and not just an adult trying to write in a child's P.O.V and slide in controversial topics. 

 If I was going in to teach to non-special children I would most definitely teach this book. Honestly, I'd say beginning of middle school (6th grade) would be a great time to read and talk about this book. Nowadays there are still a good bit of people that try to shelter their children from "heavy" topics such as the ones in this book. Some would argue that children need not worry about things like that but I say heck ya they should. Exposing a child to these topics, in an open-minded way, will teach them to have different outlooks on the world and not let them be so closed in on things that go on around them from day to day. I honestly want to go home and have my nephews, who are 6 and 10, read this book and tell me how they feel about Junior and what they think about the events that he went through. All in all Sherman Alexie did an extraordinary job at portraying adolescence and the struggles we face when going through it.    

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