How I Became a Ghost: a Choctaw Trail of Tears Story

Marc Notes: Maps on endpapers.; A Choctaw boy tells the story of his tribe's removal from the only land its people had ever known, and how their journey to Oklahoma led him to become a ghost--one with the ability to help those he left behind.; 1; 009-012. Jacket Description/Flap: Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, How I Became a Ghost is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy. From the opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and Isaac's talking dog, Jumper. The first in a trilogy, How I Became a Ghost thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history. Review Quotes: "Tingle, a Choctaw storyteller, relates his tale in the engaging repetitions and rhythms of an oft-told story. ... The novel comes alive in Isaac's voice and in the rich alliance of the living and the dead." -- Dean Schneider "The Horn Book Magazine"Review Quotes: "The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective." -- Vicky Smith "Kirkus Reviews"Review Quotes: "As the 2014 AIYLA Middle School winning book, it will come as no surprise that {this book} receives a rousing endorsement ... deserves a place in any collection that serves audiences interest in either American Indians or great stories." -- George Gottschalk "American Indian Library Association"Review Quotes: "Throughout, this story shines with the warmth that Tingle's storytelling voice brings to his writing. I highly recommend How I Became A Ghost. I have it on good authority that we'll hear more from Isaac. I look forward to it." -- Debbie Reese "American Indians in Children's Literature" Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2013 (EAN 9781937054533, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2013 pg. 240 (EAN 9781937054533, Hardcover) Kirkus Best Middle Grade Books 11/15/2013 pg. 84 (EAN 9781937054533, Hardcover) Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2014 pg. 101 (EAN 9781937054533, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2014 pg. 95 (EAN 9781937054533, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Tingle, Tim Tim Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a frequent speaker at tribal events and the author of more than twelve books. Fueled by his own family's survival and memories of the Trail of Tears, he became fascinated by the Navajo Long Walk, and Danny Blackgoat came to life.