Jim Thorpe's Bright Path - Hardcover

Jim Thorpe’s parents knew he was special from the day he was born. When they held him and his twin brother, Charlie, his mother noticed how the light shone on the road to their cabin. She gave Jim an extra name: “Wa-Tha-Huck,” or “Bright Path.”

Jim developed his athletic skills early on, playing outdoors and hunting with his father and brother. But when Jim was sent to Indian Boarding Schools, he was confined to stiff uniforms and strict rules. While he struggled in academics, he always excelled in sports. As Jim moved from school to school over the years, overcoming family tragedies, he always remembered the encouragement of his brother and the words of his father—that the white man’s knowledge was necessary for him and his people to survive.

Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path takes a fresh look at a world-renowned sports hero and allows the reader to meet the person behind the celebrated 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, of Abenaki descent, is among the most respected and widely-published Native American authors, with more than 100 published books. Bruchac is also a professional storyteller and editor of the Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. The Bruchacs live in Greenfield Center, New York.

S. D. NELSON, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, is of Lakota and Norwegian descent. In addition to being a children’s book illustrator, he is also the author/illustrator of two picture books, Gift Horse and The Star People. A former middle school art teacher, he now illustrates full-time near Phoenix, Arizona.