Shelf Life » Sports

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Administrator — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:36:48 +0000

Click to hear an excerpt.
California Young Reader Medal Finalist 2009-2010
Ender Wiggins, Katsa, Iggy Corso, Sammy Santos, Ray-Ray, Miles Halter, Katniss Everdeen, Clay Jenkins, Melinda Sordino… these are a few of my favorite characters from YA literature (can you name the books?). Arnold “Junior” Spirit now takes his place very near the front of that line. Sherman Alexie’s protagonist (and maybe his alter ego?) is a memorable, lovable guy. He is brave, honest, sensitive, self-effacing, and, sometimes, laugh-out-loud funny. This book is a must-read.

Arnold is a Spokane Indian living on a reservation (The Rez) in Washington State. He was born with hydrocephaly (”water on the brain”) which left him with a large head, hands, and feet, a skinny body, and poor eyesight. To say he and his tribe are poor is to vastly understate their situation. Poverty, violence, alcoholism, and worst of all, hopelessness surround Arnold. Even his loving father regularly disappears into an alcoholic haze. Death, as Arnold points out, is a large part of his world. He estimates that he has attended over 40 funerals in his short life. But though Arnold cries and grieves for his family and his tribe he refuses to give in to despair. He is determined to make a future for himself. At a teacher’s urging he transfers to an all-white school more than 20 miles from his home. He becomes a part-time Indian and, in the eyes of many of the members of his tribe, he becomes a traitor. He faces hatred and violence when he is home on the rez and racism and hostility when he is at school. But this is a hopeful and funny story. Arnold’s indomitable spirit helps him create a unique space for himself. He finds beauty and kindness in both of his worlds and helps create large amounts of both for others.

In his protagonist, Alexie has created a unique voice in YA literature. With poignancy, humor, and insight he guides the reader through the mostly undiscovered world of the reservation. Ellen Forney’s drawings perfectly complement the story and help bring Arnold to life for the reader. We can only hope that a sequel is in the works because one Arnold book is not enough.

Highly recommended for grades 7-12

By Mr. Doyle

Tiger by Jeff Stone

Administrator — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:54:20 +0000

Tiger is book one of the “Five Ancestors” series. The series tells the tale of five young Buddhist monks, each the master of a different animal style of Kung Fu (hence the titles of the individual volumes), who are cast out into the world after their temple is attacked and all of the adults are killed. The five warrior-monks, orphans all, must uncover the secrets of their past before they can avenge the deaths of their brethren and retrieve the sacred Dragon Scrolls stolen by the traitorous Ying. Book 1 centers on Fu, the youngest person ever to master the Tiger style. Fu is powerful and impulsive, like a tiger, and is a man of action. How can he run off and find the secrets of his past when Ying and his men are camped in the ruined temple with the Dragon Scrolls? He must fight and he must retrieve the scrolls. But is his a suicide mission? Ying is more powerful now then when he left the temple and he commands and entire army. Will Fu’s brothers help him or have they already done as the Master commanded and gone their separate ways?

Kung fu is the star here and Stone, a martial artist himself, does a good job describing the techniques and the fight scenes. A good pick for reluctant readers and martial arts fans in grades 5-10.

By Mr. Doyle

Football Genius by Tim Green

Administrator — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:27:43 +0000

I have had kids ask for Green’s books off and on for several years. I read parts of one of his adult novels when I had the first request and was less than impressed by the writing and the explicit scenes. But the requests have continued and they usually come from kids who are not avid readers. So when I saw Football Genius in the teen section of Barnes and Noble I decided to give Mr. Green, a former Defensive End for the Atlanta Falcons and some-times sports commentator, another chance. And I am glad I did. This book won’t get any starred reviews or be studied in English classes but it is a fun read and will appeal to student-athletes and reluctant readers.

Troy White is a football genius. He sees and feels the patterns of the game and can predict what teams will do with clairvoyant accuracy. The only problem is he’s just a kid and nobody will give him a chance to prove himself. Heck, he can’t even get a chance to play quarterback on his junior league team, even though he is the best passer and play caller around. That is because Jaime Refro’s dad is the coach and Jaime will always be the quarterback no matter how bad he stinks. When Troy’s single mom gets a job with the Atlanta Falcons Jaime sees a chance to help the struggling franchise and prove his special talent. But will he succeed or will he cost his mother the best job she has ever had?

Football players and fans will love the authentic game action and the play calling. And Troy is a likeable underdog who despite repeated mistakes keeps trying for his dreams. Recommended for grades 6-10.

By Mr. Doyle