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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

10 posts
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 · 433,450 ratings · 44,972 reviews · 131 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney (Illustrator) 4.05 avg rating — 287,122 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 — 26,993 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 4.13 avg rating — 18,462 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 — 18,300 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 — 14,307 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 — 8,296 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 — 7,145 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 — 6,999 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 — 7,054 ratings — published 2009	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 — 5,000 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

2425 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

753 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

616 likes

See all Sherman Alexie's quotes »

Polls

Who is your favorite poet? (add to this list if needed)

Charles Bukowski

38 votes, 15.2%

E. E. Cummings

21 votes, 8.4%

Edgar Allan Poe (write-in)

19 votes, 7.6%

Robert Frost (write-in)

15 votes, 6.0%

Emily Dickinson

13 votes, 5.2%

Sylvia Plath

12 votes, 4.8%

Pablo Neruda (write-in)

10 votes, 4.0%

Langston Hughes

7 votes, 2.8%

Allen Ginsberg

7 votes, 2.8%

Mary Oliver

6 votes, 2.4%

william shakespear (write-in)

6 votes, 2.4%

Rumi (write-in)

6 votes, 2.4%

Rainer Maria Rilke (write-in)

5 votes, 2.0%

Walt Whitman

5 votes, 2.0%

T.S. Elliot (write-in)

5 votes, 2.0%

Dorothy Parker (write-in)

4 votes, 1.6%

William Blake (write-in)

4 votes, 1.6%

D. H. Lawrence (write-in)

4 votes, 1.6%

Fernando Pessoa (write-in)

4 votes, 1.6%

Lord Alfred Tennyson (write-in)

4 votes, 1.6%

Nikki Giovanni

3 votes, 1.2%

John Keats (write-in)

3 votes, 1.2%

Federico García Lorca (write-in)

3 votes, 1.2%

Charles Baudelaire (write-in)

3 votes, 1.2%

Sherman Alexie

2 votes, 0.8%

Adrienne Rich

2 votes, 0.8%

Wallace Stevens (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Andrea Gibson (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Dylan Thomas (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Dante (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

anne sexton (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Seamus Heaney (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Hart Crane (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

John Donne (write-in)

2 votes, 0.8%

Marge Piercy (Author)

1 vote, 0.4%

Naomi Shihab Nye

1 vote, 0.4%

FERLINGHETTI, Lawrence

1 vote, 0.4%

Audre Lorde

1 vote, 0.4%

Mark Doty (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Gwendolyn Brooks (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Geoffrey Chaucer (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Stephen Crane (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Ellen Hopkins (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Ted Hughes (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Al Berto (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Mario Benedetti (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Percy Shelley (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Alexander Pope (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

E.E. Cummings (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Philip Levine (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Rafał Wojaczek (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Gérard de Nerval (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

A. Kamalei (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

cesar vallejo (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Arthur Rimbaud (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Lewis Carroll (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Jack Kerouac (write-in)

1 vote, 0.4%

Li Young Lee

0 votes, 0.0%

Martin Espada

0 votes, 0.0%

Stephen Dunn

0 votes, 0.0%

Dmitry Prigov

0 votes, 0.0%

Wisława Szymborska

0 votes, 0.0%

Suheir Hammad

0 votes, 0.0%

Hiroyuki Nishigaki

0 votes, 0.0%

250 total votes

19 comments

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Sherman Alexie’s Followers (6,730)

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Sherman Alexie

10 postsSherman Alexie's Blog

FAST

Combine EditionsSherman Alexie’s books

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

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10 posts
Sherman Alexie's Blog

Combine Editions
Sherman Alexie’s books