Arnold Spirit, known as Junior to family and friends, is a Native American teenager with a lot of problems: various medical issues, bullies who regularly seek him out, an alcoholic father, and a dirt-poor family (so poor that they’re forced to shoot their dog because there’s no money for a vet). Despite all his problems Junior has a great sense of humor. He’s a basketball player and a cartoonist, too, and his drawings are laugh-out-loud funny. He’s the kind of underdog you’ll love to root for. Junior’s school on the reservation is terrible: with 30-yr-old textbooks and teachers who forget to come to class. Junior wants to fight that, but finally his math teacher convinces him that things on the rez are never going to change. Mr. P lays it on the line and tells Junior he needs to get off the reservation, before it kills him and his spirit. He encourages Junior to transfer to a wealthy, all-white high school nearby. Talk about culture shock! The only other Indian there is the school mascot. Things are tough at the new school. Kids aren’t friendly and make fun of his NA heritage. What makes the situation worse is that the whole reservation thinks Junior's a sell-out. Now he belongs nowhere. This is a seriously funny story about overcoming poverty, handicaps, and discrimination.
http://www.fallsapart.com/ Patty McClune
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