1. Relationships
1.1. {Rowdy}
1.1.1. After Junior decided to go to Reardan, Rowdy felt hurt and betrayed (no longer friends). Junior had tried to restart the friendship a few times (didn’t work). Junior goes up against Rowdy in a basketball game (Junior loses). Junior rematches against Rowdy in another basketball game (wins by 40 points). Near the end of the book, Junior and Rowdy start to become friends again (they play basketball against each other 1 on 1).
1.2. {Grandma Spirit}
1.2.1. Junior looks up to Spirit, she forgives everyone and is tolerant, early in the story, Spirit gives Junior some advice after Junior punched Roger. Spirit later in the story is run over by a drunk driver, for her last words she wishes for Junior, and Juniors mom, and dad to forgive the driver.
1.3. {Eugene}
1.3.1. Eugene gave Junior a ride to Reardan a couple times, and helped stitch Junior up after a basketball game, he was shot in the head by one of his friends later in the story.
1.4. {Roger}
1.4.1. Junior meets Roger during the start of him attending Reardan, punching him due to some racist remarks (Roger later respects Junior because of this). Roger then starts to become good friends with Junior.
1.5. {Gordy}
1.5.1. While at Reardan, Junior meets Gordy, a book nerd who is fairly smart. Gordy later helps out Junior with some work and complicated words.
1.6. {Penelope}
1.6.1. The first time Junior attends Reardan, he sees Penelope(popular). At the start Penelope makes fun of Junior and later Junior find out about Penelope being bulimic, this leads to Penelope and Junior dating, this makes Junior popular in turn.
1.7. {Mary}
1.7.1. Mary is Juniors sister, and mostly had lived in the basement. Junior finds out Mary liked making romance novels. Later in the book Mary runs off to Montana and gets married, Mary writes to Junior periodically
2. Junior
2.1. Physical description
2.1.1. Junior wears glasses, Junior is very skinny with huge hands, feet, and skull. Junior also has a condition that causes seizure's.
2.2. Characteristics and personality
2.2.1. Junior is an Indian on the Spokane reservation. Junior has a disability linked to his brain along with a stutter. Junior tries to be funny (usually through his comics). Junior is also pliable (easily influenced), When Mr. P told Junior to go to Reardan, Junior decided to go without another thought.
2.3. How other characters see Junior
2.3.1. Other characters see Junior as very rich during his time at Reardan, but on the reservation he was beat up for his stutter and brain disorder.
2.4. Three adjectives describing Junior at the start of the novel
2.4.1. Hopeless, Frustrated, Poor.
2.5. Three adjectives describing Junior at the end of the novel
2.5.1. Hopeful, Empowered, Poor.
2.6. Turning points for Junior
2.6.1. Throwing a book at Mr. P. Going to Reardan. Meeting Penelope.
3. High points in the novel
3.1. Going to Reardan.
3.2. Meeting Penelope.
3.3. Meeting Gordy.
3.4. Junior pretty much started dating Penelope.
3.5. Coach supports and encourages Junior to keep going.
3.6. Junior gets ready to play basketball against Welpinit for the rematch.
3.7. End of the book, Junior and Rowdy start to become friends again.
4. Timeline of key events
4.1. Throwing a book at Mr. P.
4.2. Mr. P "Confesses" to Junior.
4.3. Mr. P tells Junior about Mary and how she liked to write novels.
4.4. Mr. P tells Junior he has to go to Reardan, and that there is hope there.
4.5. Losing Rowdy as a friend.
4.6. Junior thought of as a traitor by his tribe.
4.7. Going to Reardan.
4.8. Meeting Penelope.
4.9. Punching Roger.
4.10. Grandma Spirit gives advice to Junior, after punching Roger.
4.11. Eugene (Juniors dads friend) picks Junior up from school some times.
4.12. Bettering Relations with Penelope during Halloween.
4.13. Meeting Gordy.
4.14. Juniors Sister (Mary) ran away to Montana and got married.
4.15. Junior tries to restart his friendship with Rowdy (doesn't work).
4.16. Junior finds out about Penelope being bulimic (encourages her, “Don’t give up.”).
4.17. Junior meets Earl (Penelope's father).
4.18. Junior pretty much starts dating Penelope.
4.19. Penelope and Junior go to the Winter formal dance.
4.20. Penelope and Roger find out that Junior is poor.
4.21. Junior tries out for basketball.
4.22. Junior meets Coach.
4.23. Junior goes up against Welpinit (school on Juniors rez) and faces Rowdy in basketball.
4.24. Junior loses the basketball game and gets a concussion, Eugene stitch's Junior up.
4.25. Coach supports and encourages Junior to keep going.
4.26. Eugene gets shot in the head by his friend.
4.27. Junior and his family is under a cloud of grief (Junior does not attend Reardan for a long time).
4.28. Junior heads back to school, the teacher is disrespectful, everyone rebels.
4.29. Junior gets ready to play basketball against Welpinit for the rematch.
4.30. Coach suggests Junior guards Rowdy.
4.31. The game starts and Junior blocked Rowdy's first shot and scores a three pointer.
4.32. The game is set and done with a 40-point lead from Reardan.
4.33. Junior feels ashamed for wanting to win so bad.
4.34. Mary dies in a trailer fire.
4.35. Grandma Spirit gets run over by a drunk driver.
4.36. During Mary’s funeral, Junior runs off into the woods, and runs into Rowdy.
4.37. Rowdy says it's all Juniors fault that his sister died (Rowdy tries to punch Junior but misses).
4.38. End of the book, Junior and Rowdy start to become friends again.
5. Low points in the novel
5.1. Losing Rowdy as a friend.
5.2. Junior thought of as a traitor by his tribe.
5.3. Junior loses the basketball game and gets a concussion, Eugene stitch's Junior up.
5.4. Grandma Spirit gets run over by a drunk driver.
5.5. Eugene gets shot in the head by his friend.
5.6. Junior and his family is under a cloud of grief (Junior does not attend Reardan for a long time).
5.7. Mary dies from a trailer fire.
5.8. Rowdy says it's all Juniors fault that his sister died.
6. Quotes
6.1. Junior
6.1.1. Junior: "My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from"
6.1.1.1. Pg 31
6.1.2. Mr.P: "'But I do forgive you,' he said. 'No matter how much I don't want to. I have to forgive you. It's the only thing that keeps me from smacking you with an ugly stick. When I first started teaching here, that's what we did to rowdy ones, you know? We beat them. That's how we were taught to teach you. We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child'"
6.1.2.1. Pg 35
6.1.3. Coach: "Coach studied my face some more, as if he were searching for something. 'Roger is a big kid,' he said. 'He's huge,' I said. 'You want to take him on again? Or do you need a break?' Ninety percent of me wanted to take the break. But I knew if I took that break I would never make the team. 'I'll take him on again,' I said. Coach smiled."
6.1.3.1. Pg 140
6.1.4. Junior: "But halfway through the first quarter, with the score tied at 10, Coach sent me in. And as I ran onto the court, somebody in the crowd threw a quarter at me. AND HIT ME IN THE FRICKING FOREHEAD! They drew blood. I was bleeding. So I couldn't play."
6.1.4.1. Pg 145
6.1.5. Junior: "My father went on a legendary drinking binge. My mother went to church every single day. It was all booze and God, booze and God, booze and God. We'd lost my grandmother and Eugene. How much loss were we supposed to endure? I felt helpless and stupid."
6.1.5.1. Pg 171
6.1.6. Junior: "[Coach] walked over to me, keeled, and pushed his forehead against mine. Our eyes were, like, an inch apart. I could smell the cigarettes and chocolate on his breath. 'You can do it,' Coach said."
6.1.6.1. Pg 188
6.1.7. Rowdy: "'No, I'm serious. I always knew you were going to leave. I always knew you were going to leave us behind and travel the world. I had this dream about you a few months ago. You were standing on the Great Wall of China. You looked happy. And I was happy for you.' Rowdy didn't cry. But I did. 'You're ab old-time nomad, 'Rowdy said. 'You're going to keep moving all over the world in search of food and water and grazing land. That's pretty cool'"
6.1.7.1. Pg 229 - 230
6.2. Rowdy
6.2.1. Junior: "'Rowdy,' I said. "I am going to Reardan tomorrow.' For the first time he saw that I was serious, but he didn't want me to be serious"
6.2.1.1. Pg 51
6.2.2. Junior: "Rowdy's dad closed the door on me. I walked away. But I stopped at the end of the driveway and looked back. I could see Rowdy in the window of his upstairs bedroom. He was holding my cartoon. He was watching me walk away. And I could see the sadness in his face. I just knew he missed me, too."
6.2.2.1. Pg 103
6.2.3. Junior: "I knew he'd fly into the air about five feet from the hoop. I knew he'd jump about two feet higher than i could. so I needed to jump quicker. And Rowdy rose into the air. And I rose with him. AND THEN I ROSE ABOVE HIM!... I don't know what happened, But for once, and for the only time in my life, I jumped higher than Rowdy."
6.2.3.1. Pg 191 - 192
6.2.4. Rowdy: "'It's all your fault,' he said. 'What's my fault?' I asked. 'Your sister is dead because you left us. You killed her.' That made me stop laughing. I suddenly felt like I might never laugh again."
6.2.4.1. Pg 211
6.3. Roger
6.3.1. Roger: "'Hey, Chief' Roger Said. 'You want to hear a joke?' 'Sure' I said. 'Did you know that Indians are living proof that [black people] fuck buffalo?' I felt like Roger had kicked me in the face. That was the most racist thing I'd ever heard in my life."
6.3.1.1. Pg 64
6.4. Penelope
6.4.1. Penelope: "'I thought you said your name was Junior,' Penelope said. She accused me of telling her my real name. Well, okay, it wasn't completely my real name. My full name is Arnold Spirit Jr."
6.4.1.1. Pg 60
6.4.2. Junior: "Of course, I was a sweaty mess inside that hot polyester suit. But it didn't matter. Penelope thought I was beautiful and so I felt beautiful."
6.4.2.1. Pg 122
6.5. Gordy
6.5.1. Gordy: "'Yes It's a small library. It's a tiny one. But if you read one of these books a day, it would still take you almost ten years to finish.' 'What's your point?' 'The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know.'"
6.5.1.1. Pg 97