Here is my finale revised Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian Response. If I have granted you acces you can click the link below you can comment, and add comments.
https://docs.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/document/d/1ru690PnpqmCYDi3bv07O4XhFXYgoEsN3hwP3llcfX68/edit
For some background information read these articles to which I am responding to:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/sherman-alexie-kids-books_n_874737.html
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/646639-8/west-valley-parents-teachers-at-odds-over-young-adult
What ideally is supposed to happen when reading material isn't considered suitable for every audience? I believe that a book should not be solely judged by it’s content, but by the influences it’s reader. At the school of West Valley High, off the Yakima Indian reservation, in Washington State, challenged the novel Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, out of some of their high school classes. The book relates to a younger audience, though it handles mature content, considered beyond the average high school student’s maturity and awareness. The novel relates to it’s young readers by involving issues that are applicable to many teens lives. However, many parents would rather shelter their children from these questionable topics. “True Diary” has been challenged out of schools and libraries since it’s release in 2007. It has been up to the novels young fan base, and involved educators, to fight for the stories place on their bookshelf. This situation should be taken very cautiously, considering it’s affect on a lot of people, all in different ways. The book’s challenging should follow the correct approval process within the school district , involving factual evidence about the book’s significant influence on it’s teenage audience.
Sherman Alexie’s novel stars the protagonist, Junior, an Indian boy, beginning his first year of highschool on the reservation that every generation before him was born and then died on. From the beginning Junior is introduced as unique. Whether it was his fragile health issues, or his targeting social status. After the first day of highschool, Junior opens up his textbook to find it was the same exact textbook taught to his mother back when she was in high school. Hit with an epiphany, Junior realizes that if he doesn’t leave the reservation now, he never will. Junior ends up transferring schools, 22 miles outside the reservation, to the well funded, all-white high school. He faces being an outcast there, and a trader back at home. “I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other” (True Diary 118). Junior tries his best to keep his two worlds from crashing together. Readers can relate to subjects discussed in the book. Through every challenge, Junior prevails. At his worst moments, Junior is left alone, with a family of addicts. Addicts of chasing dreams, lost dreams and of drinking their dream away. By the time Junior was 14 he had attended probably more funerals than all the students in his school had, combined. Junior is intelligent, and realized that the bad moments cannot overshadow the beauty in life. “In the middle of a crazy and dunk life, you have to hang on to the good and sober moments tightly” (True Diary 216). This book covers matters of not only racism, but alcoholism, physical abuse, and extreme poverty. Also the story involves topics that can relate to every teenager. Junior is beginning high school. He’s trying to fit in, in a place he feels so isolated from. He’s trying to succeed in sports, finding love, and making friends. “One play can determine the course of a game. One play can change your momentum forever” (True Diary 189). It took Junior a while to realize that most of his classmates were not out to see him fail. They were interested in him. In The book Junior shares his thoughts about feeling different and being accepted. “I looked and talked and dreamed and walked differently than everybody else. I was new” (True Diary 110). If someone was to skim through the book, there is a chance they’ll end up only reading a light hearted inappropriate joke, there is a chance the reader will reach a part in the story covering dark and serious substance, and there is a chance that the reader will find a heart warming excerpt. Only someone who’s read the book cover to cover, and fully understands everything in between, can truly grasp, and benefit from this story’s valuable messages.
“True Diary” was being read in West Valley’s tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade classrooms. It wasn’t until after two years that a couple parents voiced their concerns about the novel being taught to their sophomore class, when the novel had only been approved for the upper classes. Molly Rosbach wrote an article about the situation earlier this year. She wrote “The book was approved as supplemental reading to be used in literature circles in 11th and 12 grade, not as required core reading” Circulating the book back into the approval process was an appropriate move, in my opinion. Not only does this book include sexual, violent, and alcoholic activity, but it also included racism, a touchy subject among some parents. Parents should be able to put their trust in what their children are being taught is appropriately approved. One of the parents who brought up the request was Alicia Davis, who was uncomfortable when the school taught classic books discussing racism, one of which was “True Diary.” In regards to this, Davis has to say, “I’m an educator, too, and there are many other ways and other literature out there that you could use in order to prove the same point.” I agree: using less controversial books would save a lot of trouble for everyone, but taking the easy way isn’t what school are known to do. In this case, because of how much of a significance “True Diary” has, I strongly support this book to continue being taught in the classroom. It is important that controversial books, like this one, are being taught correctly though. Exposing mature material when being taught correctly, is much less of a harm than the potential risk of a teenager being exposed, to the book’s underlying meanings. If a someone reads “True Diary” without proper guidance, they may only understand the surface of the story, having the novel’s inappropriate content stand out against the rich and relatable life lessons the story tells. It also is important to where the book is taught. Alicia Davis added, “West Valley is not very diverse.” In West Valley, they are quite removed from their neighboring Yakima Reservation. English teacher at West Valley, Josh McKimmy, teaches his class “True Diary” in hopes that with the book he can connect students with the reservation. “What I try to bring into my classroom is awareness, and I think this book does a great job with that.” If this book is removed from high school reading lists, teachers, like Mr. Mckimmy, would have to resort to finding new books that can have a similar influence like “True Diary” does, which is rarely come by. For racial groups spoken about in literature read in schools it can be difficult to hear what authors have to say, especially in a classroom of other students who it doesn’t seem to faze. Educators at West Valley unintentionally continued teaching a book that wasn’t intended to be taught to younger grades, but only with positive intentions in mind, to bridge a gap so there wouldn’t have to be such a level of discomfort between social and racial classes.
Young readers look towards fiction to find some truth in their lives. True Diary’s sexual content, racial terms, and alcoholic truth is found inappropriate for developing adolescents. If anything, the truth in Alexie's book has benefitted readers with it’s words. Alexie shares his feelings towards the arguments against his book in the short article he wrote, “The Best Children Books are Written in Blood”, in this article he wrote “I have yet to receive a letter from a child somehow debilitated by the domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder contained in my book.” Sherman Alexie received the inspiration for this book from personal experiences. In his adolescence on the Spokane reservation, “would-be saviors” would try and protect him from a hell he had already experienced. Alexie cannot understand the challenges that claim his book could essentially weaken the already weakened, and harm the already harmed. In his article he responds to this by questioning, “a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?” Alexie is not trying to scare the readers though, quite the opposite. He hopes his writing will give young readers hoe. The book seems to be only getting judged at it’s lowest moments. We don’t judge people that way, so why would we judge a story that way? The proof of the story’s emotional impact is in the book’s audience. “Kids as young as ten have sent me autobiographical letters written in crayon,[...] that are just as dark, terrifying, and redemptive as anything I’ve ever read.” True Diary is a important to have available for eager readers and educators. In the case of West Valley, the book wasn’t banned entirely, but in other school cases, “True Diary” has been put to the test and failed. In his article he responds to a comment on the challenges of his novel with this consolment for anyone not fortunate enough to have read his book, and that essentially he wished he had been able to read it sooner. “When I think of the poverty-stricken, sexually and physically abused, self-loathing Native American teenager that I was, I can only wish, immodestly, that I’d been given the opportunity to read “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”
I love Alexie’s article in response to his book criticism. From start to finish it’s full of soulful, and honest text. I do not believe that any writer should lower their standards to please the generation that came before the book’s main audience. It’s interesting that it’s usually not the people that have read the book that are challenging it. I’m very fortunate to have been exposed to “True Diary”. It was simple to understand but enriching to think about. I remember one of my classmates mentioning that it’s more effective to read a simple book, with deep meaning, than a complex book with a straight forward message. I can confidently say that many of the other students in my class read this book from front to back, for the reason that they actually could. A lot of the time, my people in my classes, and even sometimes myself, skim through assigned books, and look summaries up online. I never even considered skipping through with this book. It was a challenge enough to slow my pace to follow along with everyone else. I wanted to read ahead! Another one of my classmates, whose first language is not english, was so grateful that the first book assigned this year was simple enough to fully grasp. I find it very effective that this book can accommodate all reading levels. Though the controversy for when is it too young to read “True Diary” is still up in the air, I don’t find that any reader is too young, or even too old to appreciate the story’s valuable messages.
In the case of West Valley, the challenge was taken seriously, considering it’s affect a lot of people, all in unique ways. The board that was approving the novel kept it for the school's upper classes, because of the story’s effective material. In the end, the book was not kept for sophomore classes or below, because “True Diary” is still not thought to be not suitable enough. I am alright with the final decision to only be offered to the upper classes in the curriculum, the book is available for any individual to read if they wish to do so. “True Diary” is relatable, in that it that it place it’s reader in the position that they can understand they aren’t the only one going through rough times. The novel also bridges a gap between two societies that don’t understand a lot about each other. This was especially significant in the West Valley case because of their close, yet distant ties to the neighboring Native American Reservation. Every Individual has the right to read whatever book they wish to, the issue I believe, is how they find the right literature, and getting them to start. “Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian” is an ideal and significant reading source for any young reader.
https://docs.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/document/d/1ru690PnpqmCYDi3bv07O4XhFXYgoEsN3hwP3llcfX68/edit
For some background information read these articles to which I am responding to:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/sherman-alexie-kids-books_n_874737.html
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/646639-8/west-valley-parents-teachers-at-odds-over-young-adult
What ideally is supposed to happen when reading material isn't considered suitable for every audience? I believe that a book should not be solely judged by it’s content, but by the influences it’s reader. At the school of West Valley High, off the Yakima Indian reservation, in Washington State, challenged the novel Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, out of some of their high school classes. The book relates to a younger audience, though it handles mature content, considered beyond the average high school student’s maturity and awareness. The novel relates to it’s young readers by involving issues that are applicable to many teens lives. However, many parents would rather shelter their children from these questionable topics. “True Diary” has been challenged out of schools and libraries since it’s release in 2007. It has been up to the novels young fan base, and involved educators, to fight for the stories place on their bookshelf. This situation should be taken very cautiously, considering it’s affect on a lot of people, all in different ways. The book’s challenging should follow the correct approval process within the school district , involving factual evidence about the book’s significant influence on it’s teenage audience.
Sherman Alexie’s novel stars the protagonist, Junior, an Indian boy, beginning his first year of highschool on the reservation that every generation before him was born and then died on. From the beginning Junior is introduced as unique. Whether it was his fragile health issues, or his targeting social status. After the first day of highschool, Junior opens up his textbook to find it was the same exact textbook taught to his mother back when she was in high school. Hit with an epiphany, Junior realizes that if he doesn’t leave the reservation now, he never will. Junior ends up transferring schools, 22 miles outside the reservation, to the well funded, all-white high school. He faces being an outcast there, and a trader back at home. “I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other” (True Diary 118). Junior tries his best to keep his two worlds from crashing together. Readers can relate to subjects discussed in the book. Through every challenge, Junior prevails. At his worst moments, Junior is left alone, with a family of addicts. Addicts of chasing dreams, lost dreams and of drinking their dream away. By the time Junior was 14 he had attended probably more funerals than all the students in his school had, combined. Junior is intelligent, and realized that the bad moments cannot overshadow the beauty in life. “In the middle of a crazy and dunk life, you have to hang on to the good and sober moments tightly” (True Diary 216). This book covers matters of not only racism, but alcoholism, physical abuse, and extreme poverty. Also the story involves topics that can relate to every teenager. Junior is beginning high school. He’s trying to fit in, in a place he feels so isolated from. He’s trying to succeed in sports, finding love, and making friends. “One play can determine the course of a game. One play can change your momentum forever” (True Diary 189). It took Junior a while to realize that most of his classmates were not out to see him fail. They were interested in him. In The book Junior shares his thoughts about feeling different and being accepted. “I looked and talked and dreamed and walked differently than everybody else. I was new” (True Diary 110). If someone was to skim through the book, there is a chance they’ll end up only reading a light hearted inappropriate joke, there is a chance the reader will reach a part in the story covering dark and serious substance, and there is a chance that the reader will find a heart warming excerpt. Only someone who’s read the book cover to cover, and fully understands everything in between, can truly grasp, and benefit from this story’s valuable messages.
“True Diary” was being read in West Valley’s tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade classrooms. It wasn’t until after two years that a couple parents voiced their concerns about the novel being taught to their sophomore class, when the novel had only been approved for the upper classes. Molly Rosbach wrote an article about the situation earlier this year. She wrote “The book was approved as supplemental reading to be used in literature circles in 11th and 12 grade, not as required core reading” Circulating the book back into the approval process was an appropriate move, in my opinion. Not only does this book include sexual, violent, and alcoholic activity, but it also included racism, a touchy subject among some parents. Parents should be able to put their trust in what their children are being taught is appropriately approved. One of the parents who brought up the request was Alicia Davis, who was uncomfortable when the school taught classic books discussing racism, one of which was “True Diary.” In regards to this, Davis has to say, “I’m an educator, too, and there are many other ways and other literature out there that you could use in order to prove the same point.” I agree: using less controversial books would save a lot of trouble for everyone, but taking the easy way isn’t what school are known to do. In this case, because of how much of a significance “True Diary” has, I strongly support this book to continue being taught in the classroom. It is important that controversial books, like this one, are being taught correctly though. Exposing mature material when being taught correctly, is much less of a harm than the potential risk of a teenager being exposed, to the book’s underlying meanings. If a someone reads “True Diary” without proper guidance, they may only understand the surface of the story, having the novel’s inappropriate content stand out against the rich and relatable life lessons the story tells. It also is important to where the book is taught. Alicia Davis added, “West Valley is not very diverse.” In West Valley, they are quite removed from their neighboring Yakima Reservation. English teacher at West Valley, Josh McKimmy, teaches his class “True Diary” in hopes that with the book he can connect students with the reservation. “What I try to bring into my classroom is awareness, and I think this book does a great job with that.” If this book is removed from high school reading lists, teachers, like Mr. Mckimmy, would have to resort to finding new books that can have a similar influence like “True Diary” does, which is rarely come by. For racial groups spoken about in literature read in schools it can be difficult to hear what authors have to say, especially in a classroom of other students who it doesn’t seem to faze. Educators at West Valley unintentionally continued teaching a book that wasn’t intended to be taught to younger grades, but only with positive intentions in mind, to bridge a gap so there wouldn’t have to be such a level of discomfort between social and racial classes.
Young readers look towards fiction to find some truth in their lives. True Diary’s sexual content, racial terms, and alcoholic truth is found inappropriate for developing adolescents. If anything, the truth in Alexie's book has benefitted readers with it’s words. Alexie shares his feelings towards the arguments against his book in the short article he wrote, “The Best Children Books are Written in Blood”, in this article he wrote “I have yet to receive a letter from a child somehow debilitated by the domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder contained in my book.” Sherman Alexie received the inspiration for this book from personal experiences. In his adolescence on the Spokane reservation, “would-be saviors” would try and protect him from a hell he had already experienced. Alexie cannot understand the challenges that claim his book could essentially weaken the already weakened, and harm the already harmed. In his article he responds to this by questioning, “a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?” Alexie is not trying to scare the readers though, quite the opposite. He hopes his writing will give young readers hoe. The book seems to be only getting judged at it’s lowest moments. We don’t judge people that way, so why would we judge a story that way? The proof of the story’s emotional impact is in the book’s audience. “Kids as young as ten have sent me autobiographical letters written in crayon,[...] that are just as dark, terrifying, and redemptive as anything I’ve ever read.” True Diary is a important to have available for eager readers and educators. In the case of West Valley, the book wasn’t banned entirely, but in other school cases, “True Diary” has been put to the test and failed. In his article he responds to a comment on the challenges of his novel with this consolment for anyone not fortunate enough to have read his book, and that essentially he wished he had been able to read it sooner. “When I think of the poverty-stricken, sexually and physically abused, self-loathing Native American teenager that I was, I can only wish, immodestly, that I’d been given the opportunity to read “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”
I love Alexie’s article in response to his book criticism. From start to finish it’s full of soulful, and honest text. I do not believe that any writer should lower their standards to please the generation that came before the book’s main audience. It’s interesting that it’s usually not the people that have read the book that are challenging it. I’m very fortunate to have been exposed to “True Diary”. It was simple to understand but enriching to think about. I remember one of my classmates mentioning that it’s more effective to read a simple book, with deep meaning, than a complex book with a straight forward message. I can confidently say that many of the other students in my class read this book from front to back, for the reason that they actually could. A lot of the time, my people in my classes, and even sometimes myself, skim through assigned books, and look summaries up online. I never even considered skipping through with this book. It was a challenge enough to slow my pace to follow along with everyone else. I wanted to read ahead! Another one of my classmates, whose first language is not english, was so grateful that the first book assigned this year was simple enough to fully grasp. I find it very effective that this book can accommodate all reading levels. Though the controversy for when is it too young to read “True Diary” is still up in the air, I don’t find that any reader is too young, or even too old to appreciate the story’s valuable messages.
In the case of West Valley, the challenge was taken seriously, considering it’s affect a lot of people, all in unique ways. The board that was approving the novel kept it for the school's upper classes, because of the story’s effective material. In the end, the book was not kept for sophomore classes or below, because “True Diary” is still not thought to be not suitable enough. I am alright with the final decision to only be offered to the upper classes in the curriculum, the book is available for any individual to read if they wish to do so. “True Diary” is relatable, in that it that it place it’s reader in the position that they can understand they aren’t the only one going through rough times. The novel also bridges a gap between two societies that don’t understand a lot about each other. This was especially significant in the West Valley case because of their close, yet distant ties to the neighboring Native American Reservation. Every Individual has the right to read whatever book they wish to, the issue I believe, is how they find the right literature, and getting them to start. “Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian” is an ideal and significant reading source for any young reader.