Arnold is a 9th grader who was born with hydrocephaly, or as he calls it, water in his brain. He once had ten extra teeth in his mouth removed on the same day. He is nearsighted in one eye, and far sighted in the other, and as such wear lopsided glasses. He has a seizure disorder as well as a stutter and a lisp. He thinks his head, hands, and feet are to large for the rest of his body.
Arnold has low self-esteem about his looks, and when the novel begins only has one real friend, Rowdy. Arnold is a talented basketball player, and incredibly intelligent. He is a gifted artist and makes astute insights about the world around him.
Arnold has low self-esteem about his looks, and when the novel begins only has one real friend, Rowdy. Arnold is a talented basketball player, and incredibly intelligent. He is a gifted artist and makes astute insights about the world around him.
Rowdy is Arnold's "best friend." He is Arnold's protector on the reservation, although when Arnold chooses to go to school off the "rez" he becomes very angry, and their friendship deteriorates. Rowdy's father beats him, but he does not try to hide this from the others living on the reservation.
Penelope is a girl Arnold meets at his new school. He thinks she is beautiful. She likes him as a friend but "semi-dates" him in part to anger her father, who makes racist comments about Indians to Arnold. She figures out Arnold is poor and doesn't treat him any differently because of it.