DESC: Fantastically written, humorous, and deeply moving, Sherman Alexie's autobiographical first foray into the young adult fiction world follows Junior, a 14-year-old Indian whose vast physical problems and grinding poverty are outweighed by his incredible talent and refreshing, honest views on just about everything. Born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Junior loves to draw cartoons and is the smartest kid in his rotten reservation school. But when he's presented with an opportunity that promises to blow the lid off his life, Junior sees a hopeful future for the first time. With excellent, perfectly pitched B&W illustrations by cartoonist Ellen Forney, this is the winner of the 2007 National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category.