Jim Thorpe, Original All-American
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David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT -- School Library Journal, 6/13/2008
Jim Thorpe, Original All-American (unabr.). 5 CDs. 6:26 hrs. Prod by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7393-6229-7. $50.
Gr 6-9–Jim Thorpe’s remarkable story is documented from his childhood on a reservation in Oklahoma to his time at Carlisle (PA) Industrial Indian School where he began his athletic career to the Olympic scandal (Thorpe lost his Gold medals for having played two semi-professional seasons of baseball on a minor league baseball team) that ended his amateur career. Joseph Bruchac’s first-person fictionalized biography (Dial, 2006) makes Thorpe come to life. Bruchac, a Native American, says in the author’s note on the last CD that writing this biography was a labor of love. There is enough play-by-play of Thorpe’s athletic exploits, mainly on the football field, to pique the interest of sports fans, but not too much to make the book of little interest to those with little interest in sports. The main characters, Thorpe and legendary football coach Pop Warner, are realistically portrayed, while the overriding theme is the Native Americans’ poor treatment by the U.S. government. Readers can make their own judgments on why Warner lied and pressured Thorpe to lie as well once news of the scandal broke, which eventually cost Thorpe his Olympic medals. While the passage of time may have dimmed the luster of Thorpe’s remarkable achievements—not only was he an Olympic track and field star, but he also was a professional football star and played major league baseball—this book will leave listeners wanting to learn more about Thorpe.
