Period 1 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Chapter Summaries by Alexandra Buchalski

Chapter 1 "The Black Eye of the Month Club"

abuchalski — 2025-02-02 17:24:48 UTC

Junior is a Native American teenager who is not treated well by his classmates. He is skinny with black glasses, big feet and an enormous head. To add, he has seizures. Lastly, he enjoys drawing because he can communicate with everyone.

Chapter 2: "Why Chicken Means So Much To Me"

abuchalski — 2025-02-06 11:55:44 UTC

Junior is poor and he feels like he cannot escape from poverty. Due to poverty, the family could not help their sick dog, Oscar, who is Junior's best friend. Their only option is the kill the dog to end his suffering. Also, his parents had dreams to be professionals. His mom likes to read and his dad is a musician.

Chapter 3: "Revenge is My Middle Name"

abuchalski — 2025-02-12 11:59:43 UTC

Rowdy is Junior's best human friend and he is always mad and fighting. Rowdy's parents are physically abusive, while Junior's parents are emotionally abusive. Junior and Rowdy decide to go to the powwow and while they are there the 30 year old Andruss brothers beat up Junior. Rowdy gets revenge for his best friend by shaving their eyebrows and cutting their braids. Even though Rowdy is aggressive, he secretly likes goofy comics. Furthermore, Junior draws cartoons for Rowdy because he wants Rowdy to share his dreams and laugh.

Chapter 4: "Because Geometry is Not a Country Somewhere Near France"

abuchalski — 2025-02-14 12:02:54 UTC

Junior has a sister named Mary who is isolated but he admires her humor and he thinks she is pretty. Junior started high school and he was worried about how people would treat him, including Rowdy. However, he was very happy about a new geometry class. Mr. P is his geometry teacher and he is always sleepy and sometimes he forgets to come school. Junior received a geometry book and realized this book was his mother's book. As a result he threw the book at Mr. P to express his anger.

Chapter 5: "Hope Against Hope"

abuchalski — 2025-02-23 18:44:56 UTC

Junior was at his house because he was suspended. His family was very disappointed in his actions. Next, Mr. P visited him to apologize and forgive Junior for his actions. Also, Mr. P confesses to Junior that in the past he hurt the Native Americans. The conversation continues and Mr. P tells Junior that his sister wanted to write romance novels. Lastly, Mr. P encourages Junior to leave the reservation to find hope. If he stays, he will lose his hope and his dreams.

Chapter 6: "Go Means Go"

abuchalski — 2025-02-26 16:54:32 UTC

To start, Junior is dealing with the idea of leaving the reservation. When his parents arrived home, he asked them a big question, "Who has the most hope?" They were shocked by the question but answered, "White people." Junior told his parents he wanted to go to Reardan High School and surprisingly his parents agreed. Even though they were not successful, they wanted a better life for their children. Lastly, his dad offered another point of view that the people on the rez are going to be angry with Junior if he leaves the reservation.

Chapter 7: "Rowdy Sings The Blues"

abuchalski — 2025-02-27 14:32:50 UTC

To start, Junior meets Rowdy on the playground so he can tell him he is transferring to Reardan. This school beats the reservation school in all sports and academic competitions, so Rowdy is furious at Junior for making this decision. Moreover, he does not want to transfer with Junior. Next, Rowdy cries and then punches Junior because he is so sad and angry. Junior feels as though his best friend has become his worst enemy.

Chapter 8: "How to Fight Monsters"

abuchalski — 2025-03-06 12:38:18 UTC

Junior's father drives him to Reardan for his first day of school and he encourages Junior to be brave. Next he learns that the mascot is an Indian and he is unsure about how this makes him feel. In class, he meets Penelope who he thinks is gorgeous. During their conversation, he tells her his name is Junior and everyone laughs at him. Later, the students discover his real name is Arnold Spirit and she gets mad at him because she thinks he is lying. As a result he feels like two people in one body. Junior also meets Roger and his friends who make racists jokes. This led to Junior punching Roger in the face. In the end, Roger walks away and Junior feels confused about who he has become and he feels like he cannot go home.

Chapter 9: "Grandmother Gives Me Some Advice"

abuchalski — 2025-03-06 13:09:17 UTC

First, Junior talks to his grandmother about his fight with Roger. She advised Junior that he earned the respect of the "alpha dog" Roger. Junior is still worried that Roger will take revenge on his, however when he arrives to school on Eugene's motorcycle the students are impressed and show him respect. Lastly, Junior says hello to Penelope, but she acts like she doesn't know who he is.

Chapter 10: "Tears of a Clown"

abuchalski — 2025-03-07 15:00:46 UTC

When Junior was 12, he told Rowdy about a girl he liked named Dawn and he cries. Rowdy promises Junior that he will keep his secret forever.

Chapter 11: "Halloween"

abuchalski — 2025-03-07 15:05:52 UTC

To start, on Halloween Junior goes to school dressed as a homeless person. Penelope is also dressed as a homeless person because she wants to protest how people treat them and collect money to send to them. In order to impress Penelope, that night Junior collected money too. Unfortunately three guys jumped him and stole the money. The next day, when Junior told Penelope what happened and showed her his wounds, she felt empathy and said she'd put his name on the money donation. In the end, they did not become close, as Junior had hoped.

Chapter 12: "Slouching Towards Thanksgiving"

abuchalski — 2025-03-10 15:35:02 UTC

First, Junior contradicts the teacher about a science topic, and Gordy confirms his ideas. Junior and Gordy become friends because they both enjoy school and reading. Junior tells readers about the many different ways he gets to school and it is always difficult. Lastly, Junior learns that Mary is married to an Indian from Montana.

Chapter 13: "My Sister Sends Me An Email"

abuchalski — 2025-03-12 11:55:23 UTC

Mary sends Junior an email and shares her amazing experiences on the Flathead Reservation. Some of the differences between Junior's reservation and the Flathead Reservation are that there are many towns unlike Wellpinit and there are white people living there.

Chapter 14: "Thanksgiving"

abuchalski — 2025-03-12 12:11:01 UTC

It's Thanksgiving and Junior decides to make a cartoon for Rowdy and bring it to his house. Rowdy's father answers the door and he criticizes the cartoon and prejudges Junior. Then Junior watched Rowdy look at his cartoon and notices that he didn't destroy the cartoon. However, Rowdy gave Junior the middle finger, a sign that he still cares.

Chapter 15: "Hunger Pains"

abuchalski — 2025-03-17 14:04:33 UTC

Junior finds Penelope in the bathroom and discovers that she is bulimic. Junior and Penelope have a long conversation and connect about their future. Earl is Penelope's father and he is racist.

Chapter 16: "Rowdy Gives Me Advice About Love"

abuchalski — 2025-03-17 14:07:13 UTC

Junior enjoys watching Penelope play volleyball. Later, Junior asks both Rowdy and Gordy about how to get a white girl to love him and they both say it's impossible.

Chapter 17: "Dance Dance Dance"

abuchalski — 2025-03-18 13:49:53 UTC

Junior and Penelope attend the Winter Formal and they dance 19 songs together. Later in the evening, Roger invites Penelope and Junior to get pancakes, however Junior does not have enough money to pay for the meal. As a result, Roger gives Junior $40 to pay for the meal. He also asks Junior if he is interested in playing on the basketball team. Then, Junior confesses to Penelope that he is poor. As a result she cries, kisses him on the cheek and Roger drives Junior back to the reservation.

Chapter 18: "Don't Trust Your Computer"

abuchalski — 2025-03-21 16:18:40 UTC

Junior sends Rowdy and email with his smiling face and Rowdy responds with a picture of his butt. Junior confesses to Gordy that the people on the rez call him an apple because he is Indian on the outside and white on the inside.

Chapter 19: "My Sister Sends Me a Letter"

abuchalski — 2025-03-21 16:27:13 UTC

Mary sends Junior a letter to talk about her new house and to tell him that she can't find a job. Junior is not impressed with her new home.

Chapter 20: "Reindeer Games"

abuchalski — 2025-03-21 17:32:48 UTC

First, Junior tries out for the basketball team and the coach makes him play against Roger, who is very skilled. Junior does not give up playing, even when he's tired. The coach chooses Junior to be on the varsity team because he's a good shooter. A few weeks later Reardan has their first game against Wellpinit. Junior walks into the gym and everyone treats him like a traitor, calling him Arnold because that's his "white" name. Wellpinit wins the game by 30 points, however Junior gets assaulted by Rowdy and has to go to the hospital. In the end, coach stays with Junior at the hospital because he cares about him and encourages him.

Chapter 21: "And a Partridge in a Pear Tree"

abuchalski — 2025-03-24 14:41:03 UTC

It's Christmas and Junior's family does not have enough money to buy presents. His dad took the only money they had to go drinking and he missed Christmas. When dad returned he was drunk, however he gave Junior five dollars as a gift. Junior feels both happy and sad at the same time.

Chapter 22: "Red Versus White"

abuchalski — 2025-03-27 11:57:20 UTC

To start Junior is thinking about his family, especially his sister and the postcards she sends to him. Next, Junior tells readers about how tolerant his grandmother is, and she was the only person who 100% supported his decision to go to Reardan. Soon thereafter, Junior's grandmother was coming home from a powwow and a drunk driver hit her. She went to the hospital and later died. However, before she died she said, "Forgive him." Junior and his family did not want to forgive Gerald, however they listened to their grandmother's wishes.

Chapter 23: "Wake"

abuchalski — 2025-04-05 20:01:41 UTC

It's the day of Grandmother's wake and his tribal community allows him to grieve in peace. Billionaire Ted, a stranger, arrives and tells them he loves Indians. He brings a powwow dress and insists it is Junior's grandmother's outfit. However, Junior's mom said that Grandmother Spirit loved powwows, but she was never a dancer, so the outfit could not be hers. Additionally, the Indians agree it is not a Spokane outfit. As a result, the whole community laughs and says goodbye to Grandmother Spirit.

Chapter 24: "Valentine Heart"

abuchalski — 2025-04-09 12:09:25 UTC

To start Junior learns that Eugene was killed because his best friend shot him while drunk. Junior is feeling destroyed and hopeless, so he stays home from school for two weeks. When he returns to school, Mrs. Jeremy mocks Junior for missing so much school. To support Junior, his classmates throw their textbooks onto the floor and walk out the door. As a result Junior feels surprised and supported by his Reardan friends. Later he makes many lists about things and people that bring him joy.

Chapter 25: "In Like a Lion"

abuchalski — 2025-04-11 14:42:30 UTC

To start, Junior and his basketball team were getting prepared for the game against Wellpinit. Junior feels nervous about how the game will be because the coach said that he is the secret weapon. However the fact that he had never won a game against his best friend Rowdy makes him feel especially nervous. Then, a local sports guy starts interviewing him to know about he feels playing against his old school. At the beginning of the interview, Junior did not want to express his feelings, but eventually he told the interviewer how important it was to him to win the game because he feels like he has something to prove to the people of Reardan, Wellpinit and himself. Next, Junior goes to the game and the coach tells him that he will guard Rowdy in which he was successful by taking the ball and making a score of 3 points. As a result, the crowd goes crazy! After the game, Junior felt guilty because he broke his best friend's heart by being a part of the white team. Later, he realized that his basketball team is actually the group who usually hurts and bullies his community. In the end, Junior knew that the Native Americans don't have many opportunities and he destroys one of hopes they have.

Chapter 26: "Rowdy and I Have a Long and Serious Discussion About Basketball"

abuchalski — 2025-04-16 10:52:18 UTC

Junior sends Rowdy and email to apologize for the basketball game. Rowdy responds with insults, but at least they're communicating.

Chapter 27: "Because Russian Guys Are Not Always Geniuses"

abuchalski — 2025-04-16 11:00:17 UTC

Junior learns that his sister Mary died when her trailer burned down during a party. His father picked him up from school and he's happy that he did not die in a car crash because of the snowstorm. After the funeral, Junior sees Rowdy in the woods crying, and he blames Junior for Mary's death. Also, Junior doesn't like being at home with his drunk cousins, so he left and went to Reardan where he received more support and comfort.

Chapter 28: "Remembering"

abuchalski — 2025-04-16 18:17:10 UTC

Junior and his family go to the cemetery to visit the graves of his sister, grandmother and Eugene. Junior cries for the first time.

Chapter 29: "Talking About Turtles"

abuchalski — 2025-04-16 18:17:25 UTC

Junior remembers a time when he and Rowdy climbed a huge tree. During summer vacation, Rowdy goes to Junior's house and invites him to play basketball. They enjoyed the time together through the night and didn't keep points.