Leaving brings Junior new opportunities and new hurts. His friendship with Rowdy becomes painful, and he often feels out of place. Yet he also finds people who encourage his learning. A strong answer weighs both the costs and the opportunities, then explains what “worth it” means for Junior.

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Week 4 (Ch 1–3) — Art, pain, and friendship
Why does Junior make cartoons and jokes out of everything that hurts him?

Week 5 (Ch 4–6) — School, hope, and opportunity
Mr. P says the reservation teaches kids how to give up. What's his proof, and is he right?

Week 6 (Ch 7–9) — Two schools, different rules
Rowdy punches Junior; Junior punches Roger. What does each punch teach Junior about the rules of his two worlds?

Week 7 (Ch 10–11) — The costs of leaving
Grandmother says Roger respects Junior now. By Halloween, who respects Junior at Reardan, and who has turned on him at home?

Week 8 (Ch 12) — Quarter response: costs and possibilities
Junior calls this "the loneliest time of my life." What ends it, and what does Mary have to do with it?

The rez calls Junior a traitor for leaving; Rowdy ends the book calling him a nomad. Which one is he, and what proves it?

The label “traitor” treats Junior’s school choice as rejecting home. The label “nomad” makes room for movement while he keeps caring about the people he loves. His identity becomes larger as he discovers that he can belong to several groups. To make your own judgment, trace how his actions and Rowdy’s response change.

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Week 9 (Ch 13–16) — Attraction, ambition, and race
Rowdy says Junior only likes Penelope because she's white. Is Rowdy right?

Week 10 (Ch 17–19) — Poverty, honesty, and help
Junior spends the winter formal pretending he isn't poor. What happens when the truth comes out?

Week 11 (Ch 20–21) — Basketball and belonging
At the Wellpinit game, the whole gym turns its back on Junior. Who has Junior's back now, and how do you know?

Week 12 (Ch 22–24) — Grief, forgiveness, and care
Grandmother's last words are "forgive him." Why can she forgive the man who killed her, and why does her wake end in laughter?

Week 13 (Ch 25) — Winning and unequal advantages
Junior finally beats Rowdy and Wellpinit. Why does winning make him cry?

Week 14 (Ch 26–27) — Loss, blame, and responsibility
At Mary's funeral, Rowdy tells Junior "you killed her." Is that fair, and what does Junior think really killed his sister?

Week 15 (Ch 28–29) — Many kinds of belonging
Junior decides he belongs to many tribes. Which ones, and how did he find each one?

Week 16 (Ch 30) — Leaving and staying connected
The rez calls Junior a traitor for leaving; Rowdy ends the book calling him a nomad. Which one is he, and what proves it?