2019
WISE Score
Amazon
A high-stakes sports thriller that tackles the gut-wrenching history of Native American boarding schools without losing the 'underdog win' magic.
4.6
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If you have a kid who thinks history is boring or only cares about ESPN, buy this book immediately. Steve Sheinkin is the gold standard for narrative nonfiction—he finds the craziest true stories and tells them with zero fluff.
It’s a heavy lift emotionally because of the boarding school setting, but it’s balanced by the sheer adrenaline of the football games. It’s one of those rare 'must-reads' that actually earns the title. No BS, it’s just a great book.
Perfect for 10-year-olds and up. It’s written for middle schoolers, but the story is so compelling that high schoolers (and honestly, most parents) will get sucked in too.
It’s a masterclass in resilience. Jim Thorpe and his teammates face systemic attempts to break their spirits, yet they find dignity and brotherhood through sport. It models grit without being cheesy.
Sheinkin reconstructs the early 1900s so vividly it feels like a movie. It asks readers to imagine a world where football was a brand-new, lethal experiment and how Indigenous players literally invented the modern game.
It’s nonfiction, so the 'violence' is historical reality. It details the abuse at boarding schools—forced assimilation and cultural erasure—which is heavy but handled with total respect for the middle-grade audience.
This is top-tier educational content. It covers civil rights, American history, and sports evolution simultaneously. You won't find a better way to teach kids about the Carlisle Indian School.
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