Jim Thorpe's Bright Path 
By Joseph Bruchac
Illustrated by S. D. Nelson
9781584301660
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.
- Awards
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Best of the Best Books
Chicago Public Library
Carter G. Woodson Award
National Council for the Social Studies
Teachers' Choices
International Reading Association (IRA)
Spur Awards Finalist
Western Writers of America
Story Telling World Award 2004
Storytelling Magazine
More awards... - Interest Level
- Grades 1 - 6
- Reading Level
- Grade 4
- Themes
- Sports, Siblings, Self Esteem/Identity, Occupations, Native American Interest, Historical Interest, Discrimination
- Accelerated Reader
- Level: 5.5
Points: .5
Joseph Bruchac is an Abenaki Indian. He is among the most respected and widely published Native American authors, with over 100 titles in print. 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. They live in Greenfield Center, New York, in Bruchac's childhood home. To find out more about Joseph Bruchac, visit josephbruchac.com
S. D. Nelson is a former middle school art teacher and is now a full-time artist. He has illustrated many book, some of which he also wrote, all dealing with Native American traditions and people. He has collaborated with Joseph Bruchac several times. He is of Lakota (Sioux) descent and lives with his wife in Chandler, Arizona.
