A frank and funny portrait of the transformative friendship between a Native American boy and an Air Force kid. Seventh grader Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975. What he's not used to is white kids being nice to him - especially white kids like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys become friends, Lewis finds he has to lie more and more to hide the real circumstances of his life from George; and together they confront the bully Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home - will he still be his friend?