Keep the evidence. Weigh what it shows.
A quotation can complicate either column. Explain your placement; the column is not a verdict.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
What does the repeated request to be loved ask from other people? Keep that wish in mind as you gather evidence about Junior’s choices.
Chapter 1 · Printed page 6 · Read in context →
Three speech bubbles repeat “LOVE ME!” with different numbers of exclamation marks.
At the start of the book, Junior wants his work to reach other people. This gives us a goal to compare with the costs and possibilities that appear as the story continues.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
Which panels show the effort or lost time involved in getting to school? What does repeating the week add to the cost?
Chapter 12 · Printed page 88 · Read in context →
Title: “Junior Gets to School.” Selected captions: “No gas money.”; “I hitchhike.”; “Walk home; watch TV.” Final caption: “NEXT WEEK: Start over (but in a different order!)”
The travel problem gives the costs column a daily pattern rather than a single hard moment. Pair it with evidence about what attending Reardan makes possible.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
What different attitudes toward books do the two boys bring to the conversation? What can Junior gain from a friend who takes reading seriously?
Chapter 12 · Printed page 96 · Read in context →
Selected speech bubbles: “Don’t you get excited about books?” and “I don’t think you’re supposed to get that excited about books.”
The conversation shows an opportunity for Junior to learn from Gordy. Compare that learning opportunity with a concrete cost before deciding what leaving has been worth so far.
Junior imagines how his parents may feel about his school change and Mary’s move.
“And now, my mother and father had lost two kids to the outside world.” (Alexie 89)
What it shows: Junior sees that his school change and Mary’s move may feel like losses to their parents.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: Junior is guessing about their feelings, and changing schools is different from Mary moving away.
Junior describes Gordy continuing to help him understand.
“I really didn’t, but Gordy believed in me. He wouldn’t let me give up.” (Alexie 94)
What it shows: Gordy gives Junior patient encouragement while he learns a harder way to read.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: Junior gains a study friend, but this friendship does not simply replace Rowdy.
Junior connects Gordy’s reading lesson with taking lives and hopes seriously.
“I suddenly understood that if every moment of a book should be taken seriously, then every moment of a life should be taken seriously as well.” (Alexie 95)
What it shows: Learning with Gordy helps Junior take Mary’s dreams more seriously.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: An opportunity at the new school changes how he understands someone from home.
Junior describes his continuing feeling of being an outsider.
“But nothing much changed. I was still a stranger in a strange land.” (Alexie 81)
What it shows: Junior still feels outside the group even after a kind exchange with Penelope.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: This does not erase her kindness; it shows that belonging takes more than one moment.
Penelope tells Junior she will include him in the donation.
“I’ll still put your name on the money when I send it.” (Alexie 80)
What it shows: Penelope includes Junior in their shared effort after his money is stolen.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: Her promise is one act of care, not proof that all his problems at school are over.
Junior describes the friendship after Rowdy punches him.
“I knew that my best friend had become my worst enemy.” (Alexie 53)
What it shows: After Rowdy punches him, Junior describes their friendship as broken. The conflict follows his decision to change schools.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: This is Junior’s judgment at this moment; keep watching whether their relationship changes.
Junior describes Roger’s behavior the next day.
“He paid me some respect.” (Alexie 72)
What it shows: Roger’s next-day behavior gives Junior a sign that his place at Reardan can change.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: One student’s respect does not mean Junior is accepted by everyone.
Junior’s father explains the family’s money and travel limits.
“We can’t afford to move there. And there ain’t no school bus going to come out here.” (Alexie 47)
What it shows: Dad identifies a practical cost: Junior will need a way to reach his new school.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: His parents support the choice even though they cannot easily solve the travel problem.
Junior reflects on the conversation with Mr. P and the support he hopes to find.
“I had to add my hope to somebody else’s hope.” (Alexie 43)
What it shows: Junior wants people around him who will help his hope grow.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: This is his reason for seeking a new school, not proof that everyone at home has given up.
Junior describes his parents’ wish to help him.
“And my parents love me so much that they want to help me.” (Alexie 46)
What it shows: His parents help turn his wish for a different school into a plan.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: Their support comes from home, so the gain is not simply something Reardan gives him.
Junior describes the private hopes Rowdy shares with him.
“And he only talks about his dreams with me.” (Alexie 23)
What it shows: Rowdy trusts Junior with a private part of his life; this friendship matters before Junior leaves.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: This shows what Junior could put at risk, not a loss that has happened yet.
Junior describes the future he imagines through drawing.
“I feel like I might grow up to be somebody important.” (Alexie 6)
What it shows: Drawing lets Junior imagine a future in which his work matters.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: This is a hope he already has; later evidence must show what changing schools adds.
A quotation can complicate either column. Explain your placement; the column is not a verdict.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
Which words show that Rowdy sees the school decision as taking a side? What does this reaction tell us about Rowdy’s view?
Chapter 7 · Printed page 53 · Read in context →
Speech bubbles: “I HATE YOU!”; “YOU SUCK!”; “You WHITE LOVER!”
The image supplies evidence for why someone might read leaving as betrayal. Compare that judgment with Junior’s stated reason for changing schools, keeping the two viewpoints distinct.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
What does each crowd want Junior to be? Why might he ask the same question about himself in both places?
Chapter 25 · Printed page 182 · Read in context →
Panel headings: “IN THE WELLPINIT GYM” and “IN THE REARDAN GYM.” Crowd voices: “WHITE LOVER!” “Booo!!” “DESTROY THEM, ARNOLD!” “YAAY!” Junior thinks “Who am I??” in both panels.
The panels show pressure from opposing groups. Use Junior’s choices and thoughts around the rematch to test whether either crowd fully describes who he is.
LOOK AT THE DRAWING
How does this remembered closeness compare with Rowdy’s final description of Junior as a nomad? What actions show whether the bond survives?
Chapter 29 · Printed page 218 · Read in context →
Captions: “Boys can hold hands until they turn nine.” “Rowdy + me in 3rd grade, jumping into Turtle Lake.”
The old picture gives a starting point for comparing the friendship across time. Pair it with the final conversation and basketball game when judging whether movement and belonging can coexist.
Junior expresses the guilt he still feels about leaving.
“I hoped and prayed that I would someday forgive myself for leaving them.” (Alexie 230)
What it shows: Junior still feels guilt about leaving even as Rowdy accepts his future.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: A feeling of guilt helps explain the struggle with the label; it does not prove wrongdoing.
Rowdy tells Junior about a dream in which Junior was traveling.
“You looked happy. And I was happy for you.” (Alexie 229)
What it shows: Rowdy tells Junior about a dream in which Junior is happy far from home and Rowdy is happy for him.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: Telling Junior this offers acceptance now; it does not mean separation never hurt.
Rowdy gives Junior a new description at the end of the novel.
“You’re an old-time nomad,” Rowdy said. (Alexie 230)
What it shows: Rowdy gives Junior’s movement a name that connects it with a Native past.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: This is Rowdy’s comparison, not a claim that all Native peoples share one history of movement.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Junior explicitly affirms his Spokane identity.
“I realized that, sure, I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe.” (Alexie 217)
What it shows: Junior names his Spokane belonging while thinking about the other groups in his life.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: His later figurative tribes add connections; they do not replace his actual tribal identity.
Junior thinks about how much he misses Rowdy.
“And the tribe of boys who really missed their best friends.” (Alexie 217)
What it shows: Junior includes missing Rowdy in his wider picture of who he is.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: Missing a friend shows the bond still matters, even before the friendship is repaired.
Rowdy accuses Junior at Mary’s burial.
“Your sister is dead because you left us. You killed her.” (Alexie 211)
What it shows: In grief, Rowdy turns his anger about Junior leaving into an accusation of deadly harm.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: This records the accusation, not a cause: Dad’s account identifies an unattended hot plate.
Junior briefly separates himself from the accusation.
“Well, I didn’t kill her.” (Alexie 211)
What it shows: Junior briefly separates feeling guilty from actually causing Mary’s death.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: His guilt returns in the passage, so students must test his thoughts against the account of the fire.
Junior describes his goal before the rematch.
“I wanted to absolutely demoralize him.” (Alexie 192)
What it shows: Junior wants to crush Rowdy’s confidence, giving a real reason to question how he treats his old friend.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: This supports criticism of his revenge during the game, not a verdict on every part of leaving.
Junior describes his reaction after the victory.
“I was suddenly ashamed that I’d wanted so badly to take revenge on them.” (Alexie 196)
What it shows: Junior questions his own anger when he notices the harm he wanted to cause.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: Regret shows a change in thinking; it does not undo the hurt by itself.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Junior remembers Grandmother looking forward to meeting people at a powwow.
“Think of all the new people you’re going to meet,” she said. (Alexie 156)
What it shows: Grandmother welcomes the new relationships Junior could build by going to Reardan.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: A respected person from home supports his movement, so the community does not have one opinion.
Junior describes the community gathering at Grandmother’s wake.
“We lived and died together.” (Alexie 166)
What it shows: At the funeral, Junior still speaks as part of the community sharing its grief.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: His school choice has not erased this belonging, even though some relationships remain strained.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Coach offers to keep Junior company in the hospital.
“Well, how about I stay and keep you company, then?” (Alexie 148)
What it shows: Coach offers Junior care after the game, adding another trusted adult to his life.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: His family is in the hospital room too; gaining Coach’s support does not mean losing his family’s care.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Junior describes Roger’s repeated rides on later nights.
“And he drove me home plenty of other nights, too.” (Alexie 129)
What it shows: Roger’s repeated help lets Junior attend Reardan and keep returning home.
Read in the chapterChangeKeep in mind: These rides connect the two places rather than requiring Junior to erase one of them.
Rowdy gives Junior his interpretation of Junior’s interest in Penelope.
“I’m sick of Indian guys who treat white women like bowling trophies. Get a life.” (Alexie 115)
What it shows: Rowdy worries that Junior values a white girlfriend as a sign of status.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: The accusation needs to be tested against what Junior actually notices and values about Penelope.
Junior responds to Penelope’s dream of a life beyond her town.
“And I couldn’t make fun of her for that dream. It was my dream, too.” (Alexie 112)
What it shows: Junior recognizes a shared wish to build a future beyond a small town.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: A shared dream offers another reason for the friendship; it does not make every part of it unselfish.
Junior reflects on his family’s history of staying together.
“For good or bad, we don’t leave one another.” (Alexie 89)
What it shows: Junior describes a family expectation that makes leaving feel like breaking a shared rule.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: He is describing his family’s bond, not a rule that defines all Native people.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Junior describes his Halloween fundraising.
“I was a poor kid raising money for other poor people.” (Alexie 79)
What it shows: Junior’s new connection at school becomes a chance to help people with needs like his own.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: Helping others is evidence of care, but it cannot by itself settle whether he treats Rowdy fairly.
Rowdy accuses Junior after hearing about his school choice.
“You always thought you were better than me” (Alexie 52)
What it shows: Rowdy reads the school change as Junior placing himself above his friend.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: This is Rowdy’s accusation; it does not establish Junior’s motive.
Junior invites Rowdy to attend the new school with him.
“You can still come with me,” I said. “You’re still my best friend.” (Alexie 52)
What it shows: Junior invites Rowdy to share the change rather than simply leaving him out.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: The invitation does not remove Rowdy’s hurt or make him accept the plan.
Junior’s father warns him that some people may react angrily to his school choice.
“The Indians around here are going to be angry with you.” (Alexie 47)
What it shows: Mom warns that people at home may see Junior’s decision as a rejection.
Read in the chapterThemesKeep in mind: This is a warning about a possible response, not evidence that every person rejects him.
Junior describes his parents’ wish to help him.
“And my parents love me so much that they want to help me.” (Alexie 46)
What it shows: Junior can seek a different future while keeping his parents’ love and support.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: Their support complicates the idea that leaving means turning against everyone at home.
Junior describes the private hopes Rowdy shares with him.
“And he only talks about his dreams with me.” (Alexie 23)
What it shows: Their private trust helps explain why Rowdy could experience separation as a deep personal loss.
Read in the chapterCharactersKeep in mind: The line establishes a bond; it does not say Junior has betrayed it.
Bring forward a detail from an earlier week, or add one from your book.
Choose a quotation from each column. Explain how the second changes, limits, or strengthens your first idea.
The first detail suggests … . However, the other detail … . Together, they help me see … .