Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

From the National Book Award–winning author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the tale of a troubled boy’s trip through history.
Half Native American and half Irish, fifteen-year-old “Zits” has spent much of his short life alternately abused and ignored as an orphan and ward of the foster care system. Ever since his mother died, he’s felt alienated from everyone, but, thanks to the...

This title examines the genre of young adult literature in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Speak, We Were Liars, Between Shades of Gray, and The Maze Runner. It features four analysis papers that consider young adult literature, each using different critical lenses, writing techniques, or aspects of the genre. Critical thinking questions, sidebars highlighting and explaining each thesis and argument, and other possible approaches...

Sherman Alexie won the 2007 National Book Award for young people's literature with his acclaimed novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The novel was inspired by the problems, struggles, and occasional triumphs he experienced as a teenager. Alexie had a long career before writing a YA novel. He has been a poet, a short story writer, a novelist, a screenwriter, a comedian, and a musician. No matter what medium he works in, Alexie attracts...

When Sandro Zapote finds out his little sister needs heart surgery, he is determined to help his parents raise the money they'll need to help her get better. Sandro's dad is in the states illegally and must work two jobs to support the family. For one, he picks up roadkill for the department of streets and sanitation and gets paid by the carcass. For the other, he collects scrap metal to recycle for cash. Sandro helps his dad with some of the scrap...

Provides critical overviews of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the work's cultural and historical significance.

Presents summaries and censorship accounts of books that have been banned throughout history for political, religious, sexual, and social reasons.

Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.