Cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is assigned in US schools at grades 7–10, with a Lexile measure of 600L. It appears across 4 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
600L
Grade range
Grades 7–10
Difficulty for grade
Below the grade 6–8 band (925–1185L)
Age range
Ages 12–17
Pages
230
Reading time
about 4h 15m (est.)
First published
2007
Genre
Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316013697

Reading difficulty: At 600L, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.

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About this book

Junior, a cartoonist from the Spokane Indian Reservation, transfers to an all-white high school 22 miles off the rez. The novel won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and is among the most-challenged books in US schools per the ALA, cited for profanity, sexual references, and depictions of poverty and alcoholism on the reservation.

Why widely assigned

This Young Adult / Semi-autobiographical Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 7–10. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on Native American identity and poverty; cited across 4 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

Native American identity · poverty · racism · coming of age · alcoholism in family · code-switching

Content notes

profanity · sexual references · alcoholism · death of family members · racial slurs

Common Sense Media recommends age 13+.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10, with a Lexile measure of 600L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has a Lexile measure of 600L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
It takes about 4h 15m to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (230 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 255 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian hard to read for 7th grade?
At 600L, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian reads below the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 7th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Common Core State Standards (ELA), Great Lakes Great Books Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
600L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 7–10 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 8 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.