Emily's Response Paper 3 Prompt 3

Response Paper 3 Prompt 3

Dear Concerned Parents,

I can understand that you are upset with Brady and Rediscovered Books, but calling the cops is not the correct response. The police department cannot force people to stop giving away free books. All that they can do is wait in case a riot breaks out, but chances are that won’t happen. While I respect that you are upset that this is happening I must also let you know that I do not agree with you.

This book is not a problem in my opinion; it is instead a good book for high schoolers. Middle school I agree is probably too young to read this book in, because many parents will have a bad reaction. But high schoolers are old enough to understand and relate to the characters in this book. The book can teach kids a lot of things.

It can show children that a bad situation does not define you as a person, and who you can become. Junior is from a reservation and surrounded by drunks and death, yet he wants to do better. He does not become a drunk; he survives all the death he has to see. He eventually leaves because he made up his mind to get out, and to do better, and to be better. This is inspirational to young readers, who could be in a bad situation themselves.

Yes, there are sexual references in this book. Yet, without these it would not be as realistic, if you have ever met a middle or high schooler (especially boys) you know how they act and what they say. All the boys seem to think about is sex, they constantly make comments, and innuendos, they draw inappropriate thing on desks and papers. These things that you might say you don’t want your kids to read, they see, hear, and think about every day.

You would be hard pressed to find a boy that hasn’t seen porn in some way, yet you don’t want them reading this book? I understand that you are worried about what your kids read, but they have most likely heard it all before.

The book also can help kids who are struggling with identity, by relating to Junior. Throughout the book Junior seems to struggle with fitting in, and trying to white while still being Indian. On page 57 there is a White VS Indian drawing. This drawing opens doors for teachers and allows them to talk about identity, and help kids struggling with it.

Another thing this book can help kids with, is learning to be there for each other. On page 175 the class stands behind Junior when the teacher mocks him. The kids understood that Junior had been through a lot with the deaths in his life. So they stood up for him. Junior later says “I used to think the world was broken down by tribes, by black and white. By Indian and white. But I know that isn’t true. The world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are assholes and the people who are not. (176).” The language could have been better but, the point stands. This book teaches kids to stand up for each other, and don’t bully not only is it wrong, but you don’t know what that kid is going through. I believe this is an important point to get across to kids. And this book explains it perfectly, and is a good way to start a discussion with the students.

So I would like you to know I respect your opinion but, I disagree with it. I believe this book could do a lot of good in the classroom. And if kids can’t read it in the class they should still have the opportunity outside of class. And the bigger deal you make to kids about something being bad, or not appropriate to read, the more they will want to read it.

 

 

Resources

Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.