Dive Brief:
- Idaho parents called the cops on students passing out free copies of Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, saying the book was being given to teens without parent consent.
- Earlier this month, parents convinced Idaho's Meridian school district to ban the book from the 10th grade curriculum, claiming it contained inappropriate language and sexual activity.
- Despite 350 students signing a petition to keep the book, it was still banned. This led to Monday's protest, where students handed out free copies of the book to those who had signed the petition.
- The cops were unable to find anything wrong with the book distribution.
Dive Insight:
After hearing about the book debacle, Alexie's publisher, Hachette, has agreed to send 350 copies of the book to Rediscovered Bookshop, which helped with the distribution, to ensure that any student who wants to read it has free access.
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a critically acclaimed book that follows a teenage boy as he moves from a reservation to a predominantly white high school. Dealing with bullying, sexual desire, and racism, the book is pretty on par with the focuses and lives of high schoolers.