Rain is Not My Indian Name, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, 2001

The day she turns 14, Cassidy Rain Berghoff's best friend (and more), Galen, is killed in an accident, and Rain spends almost the next six months in a coccoon of emptiness and grief, unaware that around her rumors are spreading and lives are changing. As one of only a few Native Americans in her small town of Hannesburg, Kansas, Rain is roped into reluctantly participating (as a photo-journalist) at Indian Camp, where bridges are built, destroyed, and built again. A thoughtful realistic portrayal of grief and healing. Rain's voice and modern-day, mixed-blood Native American sensibilities are convincing. Recommended.