Junior is a 14 year-old teen living on an Indian reserve in Spokane. Life is hard and dysfunctional -- his father is an alcoholic, his sister has run away and he is regularly bullied. When his teacher urges him to find a better life by leaving the reservation, junior decides to enroll in a high performing, wealthy, all-white high school, where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Despite the racism and social stigma, Junior eventually finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team.
While the narration by Junior is sarcastic and funny -- filled with self depreciating humor, witty comments and cartoons (drawn by Junior), the focus here are issues of prejudice, marginalization, friendship, with very serious events such as suicide, sister dying in a fire, grandma killed by drunk driver.