Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team, written by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2017. $27.99 ages 12 and up

"It wasn't easy. As the New York Sun reported, the moment the Carlisle men jogged onto the field, "the crowd at once began to indulge in war whoops." The Indian players didn't respond. They'd already learned to expect this obnoxious sort of reception. Yale came out in dark blue, with big white Ys on the fronts of their jerseys. The Yale players averaged about six feet ... "

What am I doing reading a book about football, I asked myself.
It is written by Steve Sheinkin I told myself. You LOVE his books!
I was right! I do love this book, and I found myself in awe of the story he tells about the great Jim Thorpe.

It is a book about much more than football. As I found in the other books by this remarkable writer, it reads like an adventure novel while also imparting a historical perspective. It taught me a lot about some very powerful stuff concerning the Carlisle Indian Industrial School,  Coach 'Pop' Warner, football, and especially Jim Thorpe: his life, his family, his struggles and triumphs, and his legacy.

Written in two sections, the first half discusses discrimination, both political and social, as it affected Jim Thorpe and others who attended the Carlisle School. Readers learn much about the Indian Removal Act, the two main characters, 'Pop' Warner and Jim Thorpe, and what their lives were like prior to 1907 when Jim became a member of the football team coached by Pop. The second half follows the football team and football itself: its beginnings, the many changes happening as football evolved in the early 20th century, and the part played by Carlisle School team members, their coach and the school's administration. Through play-by-play action I learned a great deal about the game, the racist treatment, the dangers, and the heart of those men who played alongside Jim Thorpe. So many differences in the game were, and have been, implemented since their legendary seasons between 1907 and 1912.

Mr. Sheinkin includes Jim Thorpe's performance at the 1912 Olympics, when he won both the pentathlon and decathlon, and the scandal that followed it. Remember - he had never trained for either event. Familiar people, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Geronimo, are also included as they had a part to play in his story.

As he did in Bomb and Most Dangerous, Mr. Sheinkin leaves enthralled readers hanging at various points in his story, assuring they will want to keep reading. He asks us to think seriously about some of the issues that underscore his story, and wants us to question some common practices, even today.

Is Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete of all time, as he can been repeatedly called? It's up to you to decide for yourself after reading his unforgettable story. Steve Sheinkin has found another unexpected story to tell, done sweeping and thorough research, and then penning an inspiring story to inform and reward. Ambitious and well-told, this perfectly epitomizes why we call it history.

There are extensive source notes, a list of works used, archival photographs, and an index. A table of contents is useful as well.