Did you read Tangerine by Edward Bloor? If you didn't, you probably should. If you did read it, and you liked it, try this book. I was reading Part-Time Indian, thinking, "You know, the main character in this book reminds me a lot of Paul from Tangerine." I turned the page, kept reading, and on the very next page Junior, the main character of Part-Time Indian said that Tangerine was his favorite book! I was excited about this for two reasons. 1) Obviously, I'm psychic. and 2) I like it when authors call out to each other like that. Probably, Sherman Alexi liked Tangerine, or at least, he's read it, and he's sort of giving Edward Bloor a high-five by making it Junior's favorite book.
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a good read, about a kid stuck in between two worlds that just don't mesh. It's really sad in places, gut wrenchingly sad (the kid's dog dies before the end of the first chapter, kind of sad.) It's also a strange kind of hopeful, too. Not the kind of hopeful that makes you think "Yeah. Right." The kind of hopeful you could sort of imagine yourself feeling in the same situations. A grim but realistic hopeful, if you see what I mean.
It's also got some great illustrations, that remind me a bit of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
This book was a National Book Award Winner, and though I don't always agree with the way these things are handed out, in this case, it's perfectly clear. We've got this one in the Kids Room, so while you're over there, you can also grab Tangerine.
As a side note, I've tried some of Bloor's other books, and haven't been wild about them. Anyone got a favorite Bloor, other than Tangerine that I should try? Leave us a comment and tell us about it.
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