How I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story (How I Became A Ghost #1)

by Tim Tingle (Author)

How I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story (How I Became A Ghost #1)
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

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. 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 tells the story of his tribe's removal from the only land its people have ever known, and how that journey to what would become Oklahoma led him to become a ghost—one with the ability to help those he left behind. 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. 

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Kirkus

Starred Review

The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective.

None

Tingle, a Choctaw storyteller, relates his tale in the engaging repetitions and rhythms of an oft-told story.
Tim Tingle

Tim Tingle is an Oklahoma Choctaw, an award-winning storyteller, and the author of more than twenty books for children, teenagers, and adults. His titles have been recognized by the American Indian Youth Literature Award four times and nominated for numerous state awards. He received his master's degree from the University of Oklahoma with a focus in American Indian Studies. Tingle lives in Texas. Visit his website at timtingle.com.

Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to Cherokee ancestors. Her work is nationally known and has won many awards in Native American art shows, including the 2005 Best of Show at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Crossing Bok Chitto is her first children's book, for which she was named Oklahoma Illustrator of the Year in 2007. She lives in eastern Oklahoma, and you can find her website at rorexbridgesstudio.com.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781937054557
Lexile Measure
480
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Roadrunner Press
Publication date
September 08, 2015
Series
How I Became a Ghost
BISAC categories
JUV016140 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 19th Century
JUV018000 - Juvenile Fiction | Horror
JUV011040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Native American
Library of Congress categories
Ghosts
Ghost stories
Historical fiction
Choctaw Indians
Relocation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Indian Removal, 1813-1903
Trail of Tears, 1838
Spur Awards
Finalist 2014 - 2014
Sequoyah Book Awards
Nominee 2016 - 2016
Oklahoma Book Award
Finalist 2014 - 2014
American Indian Youth Literature Award
Winner 2014 - 2014

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