The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian / Sherman Alexie / 230 pages / October Challenge Banned Books

Neil Gaiman said The Absolutely True Diary of a Parttime Indian is "excellent in every way, poignant, really finny, and heartwarming and honest and wise and smart..I have no doubt that in a year or so it'll both be winning awards and being banned."  His prediction was correct.  In 2010, it was #2 on ALA's Banned/Challenged list.  In 2011, it was #5.  Objections include:  offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, and unsuited to age group.  This is a semi-autobiographical novel of a poor Indian born hydrocephalic, who suffers stutters and seizures and constant teasing on the Spokane Indian reservation.  Arnold "Junior" Spirit decides to leave the reservation school and enroll in Reardon High, an all-white school 22 miles away.  Often he has to walk the entire way because his parents are too drunk to take him.  Narrated by the author, the audio should be inspiring and hopeful.  Instead, I found it to be depressing.