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THUNDER BOY JR. by Sherman Alexi & Yuyi Morales

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Sherman Alexie

Born

in Spokane, Washington, The United States

October 07, 1966

Website

http://www.fallsapart.com/

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

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Sherman Alexie is a Native American author, poet, and filmmaker known for his powerful portrayals of contemporary Indigenous life, often infused with wit, humor, and emotional depth. Drawing heavily on his experiences growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Alexie's work addresses complex themes such as identity, poverty, addiction, and the legacy of colonialism, all filtered through a distinctly Native perspective.
His breakout book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel that won the 2007 National Book Award and remains widely acclaimed for its candid and humorous depiction of adolescence and cultural dislocation. Earlier, Alexie gained critical attention with The Lone Ranger and Sherman Alexie is a Native American author, poet, and filmmaker known for his powerful portrayals of contemporary Indigenous life, often infused with wit, humor, and emotional depth. Drawing heavily on his experiences growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Alexie's work addresses complex themes such as identity, poverty, addiction, and the legacy of colonialism, all filtered through a distinctly Native perspective.
His breakout book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel that won the 2007 National Book Award and remains widely acclaimed for its candid and humorous depiction of adolescence and cultural dislocation. Earlier, Alexie gained critical attention with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, a collection of interconnected short stories that was adapted into the Sundance-winning film Smoke Signals (1998), for which he wrote the screenplay. He also authored the novels Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, and Flight, as well as numerous poetry collections including The Business of Fancydancing and Face.
Born with hydrocephalus, Alexie faced health and social challenges from an early age but demonstrated early academic talent and a deep love for reading. He left the reservation for high school and later studied at Washington State University, where a poetry course shifted his path toward literature. His mentor, poet Alex Kuo, introduced him to Native American writers, profoundly shaping his voice.
In 2018, Alexie faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment, which led to widespread fallout, including rescinded honors and changes in how his work is promoted in educational and literary institutions. He acknowledged causing harm but denied specific accusations. Despite the controversy, his influence on contemporary Native American literature remains significant.
Throughout his career, Alexie has received many awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for War Dances and an American Book Award for Reservation Blues. He has also been a prominent advocate for Native youth and a founding member of Longhouse Media, promoting Indigenous storytelling through film.
Whether through poetry, prose, or film, Alexie’s work continues to challenge stereotypes and elevate Native American voices in American culture. ...more

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Sherman Alexie's Blog

Sherman Alexie isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.

FAST

My new short short story "Fast" is online at The Stranger.

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art by Mike Force

Combine Editions
Sherman Alexie’s books

Average rating: 4.04 · 430,852 ratings · 44,711 reviews · 129 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney (Illustrator) 4.06 avg rating — 285,196 ratings — published 2007 — 111 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven 4.09 avg rating — 26,866 ratings — published 1993 — 51 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	You Don't Have to Say You Love Me 4.14 avg rating — 18,385 ratings — published 2017 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Flight 3.89 avg rating — 18,200 ratings — published 2007 — 36 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reservation Blues 3.98 avg rating — 14,251 ratings — published 1995 — 43 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Indian Killer 3.78 avg rating — 8,270 ratings — published 1996 — 48 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Toughest Indian in the World 4.08 avg rating — 7,122 ratings — published 2000 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ten Little Indians 4.07 avg rating — 6,981 ratings — published 2003 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	War Dances 3.91 avg rating — 7,037 ratings — published 2009 — 36 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, Yuyi Morales (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.15 avg rating — 4,996 ratings — published 2016 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Sherman Alexie…

Quotes by Sherman Alexie (?)

“If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.”
― Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

2423 likes

“He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.”
― Sherman Alexie, The Toughest Indian in the World

tags: choice, love

754 likes

“Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.”
― Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

615 likes

See all Sherman Alexie's quotes »

Polls

What frequently challenged or banned children's or young adult book should we read in September?

(Choices chosen from book club suggestions by random number generator.)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

23 votes 24.2%

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

20 votes 21.1%

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff

12 votes 12.6%

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

11 votes 11.6%

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

10 votes 10.5%

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson

8 votes 8.4%

Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block

4 votes 4.2%

Memoirs of a Bookbat by Kathryn Lasky

3 votes 3.2%

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

2 votes 2.1%

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

2 votes 2.1%

95 total votes

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