The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Frustratingly short reports on KSPR and KTTS news tell that the Stockton School District (Missouri) has banned (the term used by the news articles) Sherman Alexie's Young Adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the winner of a 2007 National Book Award. Apparently, the book had been in use in classrooms there for some time, but when a parent complained about "violence, language, and some sexual content," the board decided to remove it. The articles don't mention if the book was reviewed by a committee, and whether or not the board's decision accepted or rejected the committee's recommendations. The KTTS article does note that some teachers who used the book in their classrooms disagreed with the board's decision.

The district superintendent recalled that in her 5-year tenure there one other book, by Nicholas Sparks, was also banned. The news stories are unclear as to which of Sparks' titles was banned, Message in a Bottle or The Notebook.

We hope for more detailed new coverage soon.