Philadelphia chose two books last spring for its ninth annual community reading program, both by Native American author Sherman Alexie. The books, War Dances and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, are meant to be “read together, offering perspectives of youth and maturity on subject matter that includes a full range of modern relationships and current issues,” according to the “One Book, One Philadelphia” website. The latter title is a popular pick for collective reading programs: “One Maryland, One Book” also chose the semi-autobiographical teen novel this year.
