From the day he was born, Jim Thorpe's parents knew he was special. As the light shone on the road to the family's cabin, his mother gave Jim another name — Wa-tho-huck — "Bright Path."
Jim's athletic skills were evident early on, as he played outdoors and hunted with his father and twin brother. When the boys were sent to Indian boarding school, Jim struggled in academics but excelled in sports. Jim moved from school to school over the years, overcoming family tragedies, until his athletic genius was recognized by Coach Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian School.
From the award-winning team of Joseph Bruchac and S. D. Nelson comes an inspiring biography of the young person behind the world-renowned athlete. Thorpe's story of determination and perseverance will resonate with every child who dreams of finding his or her own bright path.
Joseph Bruchac is an Abenaki Indian. He is among the most respected and widely published Native American authors, with over 100 titles in print, including the popular KEEPERS OF THE EARTH series and Lee & Low's Crazy Horse's Vision, which received a starred review from KIRKUS REVIEWS. A Rockefeller Fellow and an NEA Poetry Writing Fellow, he was the 1999 recipient of the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to writing, Bruchac is an editor at Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. To find out more about Joseph Bruchac, visit josephbruchac.com
S. D. Nelson collaborated with Joseph Bruchac as illustrator of Crazy Horse's Vision and Jim Thorpe's Bright Path. He is also the author and illustrator of two picture book stories inspired by the traditions of his Lakota heritage — Gift Horse, winner of the Parents' Choice Award, and The Star People, an Oppenheim Gold Award winner. Nelson's lifelong interest in Ira Hayes inspired him to tell the story of this American hero for children in Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story. A former middle school art teacher, Nelson is now a full-time artist. He is of Lakota (Sioux) descent and lives with his wife in Chandler, Arizona. Visit him online at sdnelson.net.
Awards
"Choices"
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Book of the Week
Cooperative Children's Book Center
Story Telling World Award 2004
Storytelling Magazine
Spur Awards Finalist
Western Writers of America
Teachers' Choices
International Reading Association (IRA)
Interest Level
Grades 1 - 6
Reading Level
Grade 4
Themes
Discrimination, Historical Interest, Native American Interest, Occupations, Self Esteem/Identity, Siblings, Sports, Nonfiction, Sports History
Accelerated Reader
Level: 5.5
Points: .5
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