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68th out of 108 books
—
41 voters
Jim Thorpe, Original All-American
Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. He played professional football, Major League Baseball, and won Olympic gold medals in track & field. But his life wasn’t an easy one. Born on the Sac and Fox Reservation in 1887, he encountered much family tragedy, and was sent as a young boy to various Indian boarding schools—strict, cold institutions that d...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
July 6th 2006
by Dial
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What a great book! If you're in to football, Native Americans, history, or just a terrific read about a remarkable real person, this is the book for you. I learned a lot about the early beginnings of football, and all about Pop Warner. I learned about the incredible life of a remarkable all-American, who was not even considered an American citizen, and whose people were not allowed to vote!
The author, Joseph Bruchac is a Native American himself, and he thoroughly researched the life of this you...more
The author, Joseph Bruchac is a Native American himself, and he thoroughly researched the life of this you...more
Jim Thorpe may have been America's most amazing athlete. He played pro football and baseball and won several gold medals for track and field at the fifth International Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. He was also a Native American living at the beginning of the 1900s, which was not a great time to grow up "Indian." If you play Pop Warner football, you will be interested to learn the role that the real Pop Warner played in Thorpe's life. A terrific biographical novel for kids who like sports or his...more
I was very interested to learn how much the Indian schools had to do with the development of football, but not being a fan, I was not that interested in descriptions of the plays. Bruchac uses first person, but I didn't feel that I really got to know Jim Thorpe, more that I was reading a list of his activities as a young man. I still don't really understand his adult life, and I would have liked to. It is a novel for young people, I realize.
I found this book a bit juvenile although it was in the adult section. A young boy would like this book perhaps as it was predominately about the details of football games, especially at the end. The story also ended when Jim Thorpe was a young man, bypassing his adult years.
Although I was initially put off by the first person narrative, I quickly became involved in the story and felt as if I was reading Thorpe's own thoughts. Having done a research paper in graduate school on Native American boarding schools, I found Thorpe's experiences at Carlisle especially interesting.
This book was about a very talented indian athlete. It was very interesting to see how they were treated and different techniques they used to win each game. This book was pretty good but I didn't think that it was a book young girls would like very much.
I was intrigued by the story of Jim Thorpe. Even though I am not a sports addict, there was much that was of interest - especially the historical perspective on how native Americans were treated in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
This is a great book for younger readers, especially those with an interest in sports.
This is a great book for younger readers, especially those with an interest in sports.
I really enjoyed this book. I am really big into sports and so this was very fun to read. I actually never heard of Jim Thorpe before I got the book. It was neat to learn about a guy who grew up in a Native American family while having a talent at sports. Even if you are not a sports fan it is still an interesting book to read.
This book was one of the best biographies i have ever read. It went through his entire life form when he was born to when he died and ti was very detailed.
I thought that this book gave lots of information about Jim Thorpe. The author did a great job not just listing boring facts about Jim Thorpe. Instead, he wrote a biography about Jim Thorpe in a creative and fun way. Occasionally, there would be a part in the book when Jim Thorpe is playing at a football game. Also, the author wrote about what Jim Thorpe liked to do with his family at the reservation. Lastly, the author wrote about what Jim Thorpe's life was like at Carlisle and his childhood. A...more
I had to read this for school and not being a sports fan I thought I'd hate it, but ended up really enjoying it.
i like this book so far, its good because it talks about the games he played in, how he played, and what happens on the trips to the games
Bruchac's decision to write this biography as if it were Thorpe's autobiography is somewhat problematic, but the 1st person narrative will appeal to young adults and it's a quick read. Due to the style of the book, it is important to read the interesting and informative source documentation and author's note at the end.
Jim Thorpe was a Native American from Oklahoma was was a natural in several sports. One of the earliest Olympic scandals involved him as at the time professional athletes could not compete in the Olympics.
I thought the book was exceptional. I thought the experiences could have been more directed to his school, but hey, I don't mind reading about sports!!:)
it was a great book
May 16, 2013
Ethan
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Jenny
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Apr 18, 2013
Brent Johnson
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Apr 16, 2013
Hara Kiri
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Apr 14, 2013
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added it
Apr 03, 2013
Ðɑηηɑ
marked it as li_unfiltered
Mar 31, 2013
Eugene
marked it as to-read
Mar 18, 2013
K.O.
marked it as to-read
Feb 21, 2013
Igraine
marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall
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Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by wh...more
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Sep 25, 2012 06:31am