Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team (2017) is a middle grade biography written by Steve Sheinkin that tells the story of Jim Thorpe, the world-renowned Olympic champion and football legend, and the saga of Pop Warner and the Carlisle Indian School football team. It’s a narrative that delves into the tumultuous history of American sports, highlighting themes of racism, exploitation, and perseverance.

Sheinkin is an ex-textbook writer who began writing middle grade nonfiction books in 2008. He has authored eight nonfiction books, four novels, three titles in his Everything your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You series, and three graphic novels in his Rabbi Harvey series. Sheinkin has been awarded the Newbery Honor, the Sibert Medal, the Carter B. Woodson Book Award, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award.

This guide refers to the first Square Fish edition (an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group) published in 2019.

Content Warning: This guide discusses racial discrimination, exploitation, the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, and historical injustices that appear in the source text.

Summary

Undefeated is broken into two parts, titled “First Half” and “Second Half.” A short prologue titled “Tryout” precedes Part 1.

In the Prologue, Jim Thorpe walks on to

Unlock all 48 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library