How I Became A Ghost

How I Became a Ghost #1

by Tim Tingle, Steven Walker (Illustrator)

In this first novel for children by internationally renowned Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle, a ten-year-old boy tells the story of his tribe’s removal from its Mississippi homeland, and how the Choctaws exodus to the American West led him to become a ghost — one able to help those left behind.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Native American, Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2013

About the author

Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a popular presenter at storytelling and folklore festivals across America. He was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In 2004, he was a Teller-In-Residence at The International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough, Tennessee. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.

Reviews

[Sasha]

OK!

[Mir]

This was recommended by the American Indian Library Association. I may try it, although I want to tell whomever wrote the blurb that "thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history" is not a selling point; it sounds like a thinly disguised version of "this book is pedantic and heavy-handed and you're reading it only for educational value."

Although to be fair, maybe they're just being honest, because that's kind of how I remember the other Tingle book I read, Crossing Bok Chitto. We'll see, maybe

[Jake Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my review on the book, "How I Became A Ghost" by Tim Tingle. This book was really, really good, and it is ranked on my most favorite books of all time. This book is filled with suspense, and it it had me on the edge of my seat the whole ride. The book is a candidate for the Rebecca Caudill award, and it definitely deserves to win. I recommend this book to all readers, and you WILL enjoy it folks.
This book is about a Choctaw boy who's family is on a journey from Mississippi on the "Trail Of Tears", after a group of soldiers from a different area kicked them out by burning homes and shooting people with guns. The family is forced to leave, and so they escape one night and they are on their journey to find a new home far, far away from the dangerous soldiers. The days and nights are unbearably cold, and the journey is made extremely more difficult. The family also has to suffer for the family members in which die every day form being killed by the soldiers, or just starving, freezing, etc. The family is not alone though, as they are walking with many other families in which homes were destroyed.
The main character and key to the story is very special. He has been experiencing very weird experiences, in which he could see things before they happen. Sometimes he would walk up to a person, and see how they would meet their fate. And something was telling Isaac, ( the main character ) that he was going to die soon on the journey to find their home. He didn't want to tell his parents, but he knew his time was near. Isaac also has experiences with ghosts, as he can ask for help from them and visually see the ghosts. He could speak to the ghosts, and many are his relatives.

The theme of this story is definitely bravery. Isaac is the bravest boy I have ever read about. He is only 10, and he can see ghosts and see horrible things no one else can see. He also knows he is going to die very soon, which is nothing anyone wants to hear. He also goes on an incredible mission to save someone's daughter, and he doesn't even know her. He knows that by attempting this mission, along with another friend is incredibly life threatening, and they must understand that if they want to save the poor girl, they have to live through the fact that they can be killed easily. This mission is only one thing that contributes to his bravery. His family's house is burned, and he must walk hundreds of miles with family members dying and a hard journey awaiting them. Isaac is incredibly brave, and bravery is in fact the theme of this story.
Now, once Isaac meets his tragic death, which from the beginning he knew was going to happen, Isaac faces serious work to pull off the heroic rescue of Naomi, a Choctaw girl who has been captured slave, and is a prisoner in the Nahullo (white) soldier camp. She was taken from her family before their homes were burned by the soldiers, and the family hasn't heard of her in years. The family missing Naomi meets Isaac's family, and Isaac learns of Naomi. He wants to save her, and his brother helps. The story is very suspenseful at this point, and it makes the story wonderful.

The first person point of view affects the story because it is all through the eyes of Isaac, and this is very crucial to making the story good. The book is all about how he can see ghosts, and he knows he will become one, and knowing what is going on through his head during these fictional experiences is stunning, and it drew me closer to the book. The setting of the book is very important because, well it happens in america, but its just that is is winter, and it is freezing cold. The cold gave Isaac and his family so many problems, and it caused some characters to even die. The setting really helped with the suspense of the story, and it made the story better overall.

I really liked how the author continuously threw us more and more suspenseful events. There were scenes where the were problems with the soldiers and people being shot, and then that can to an end. Then there was another event following the other, and so on. This balanced out the story in a great way. There were really no points in the story in which I really wasn't engaged, and I was always glued to the book and really kept me busy. I also am not going to spoil the book, but the end had a really great ending. The author did a great job in finishing the book, and he did a great job. I have read books where the book is great all the way and the author blows it, but Tim Tingle did chose a great ending for the story and I was very pleased with it.

I would rate this book a 5 star, and it was a no-brainer. i chose this rating for the book because I was very surprised that the book never had me falling asleep in boredom, but it always had me on the edge of my seat and wondering what was going to happen next. The story had a great ending, which I think is one of the most important components in having a great book. That also really gave the book the push it needed for a 5 star rating. I would recommend this book to pretty much any type of reader, because I think this will grab anyone, and if I had to be specific, I would say people who love books with suspense, and a good ride while reading. So yes everyone, that was my review on ," How I Became A Ghost " by Tim Tingle. If your looking for a book which will grab you into its reality and get you engaged the whole way, read this book. You won't be disappointed.

[Asilef · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this book was written for the 9-12 year age group, but I think Tim Tingle vastly underestimates the intelligence of that age group. They're kids, they're not stupid.
I had a few problems with this book. First of all, the use of exclamation points. They're all over the place. At first I tried to justify it by thinking Isaac was really that excited at everything, but that didn't work. There were way too many.
Then come the plot holes (spoilers coming).
It was made to be a Big Deal that Isaac could see and talk to ghosts. But suddenly, when Isaac dies, ghosts are popping up all over the place to everyone. Everyone sees and talks to ghosts. How? Why? On that point, why did Nita even go to Isaac in the first place to save Naomi, when ANY CHOCTAW GHOST OR HUMAN could have done it?
Jumper. The dog. How do he and Isaac speak to one another? Talking to ghosts (apparently a skill all Choctaws have) is a big deal, but talking to dogs is just...eh whatever. Why was Isaac surprised that Jumper understood the Choctaw language?? What the hell were they all speaking to one another the entire book?
Somewhere in the middle of the book, Jumper talks about how he will soon be a ghost, but...that never happens. I think Tingle forgot to kill him.
Now most importantly, WHO DID THE RATTLESNAKE SPELL? That shit came out of NOWHERE, and was NEVER talked about again. Just...what?
I think it was probably Isaac's mother, just as I think his mother had the same "powers" as he did, but why was it never explained? Tingle makes a point to describe almost every single thing for the children he thinks are idiots, so why didn't he explain the rattlesnake?

Alright. I'm aware this is more a rant than a review. Oh well. I'm giving it 2 stars because despite Tim Tingle not knowing how to write a book, it was a pretty compelling story.

[Griffin Condon · Rating 5 out of 5]

its amazing detail and realistic setting and plot

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Tim Tingle's How I Became A Ghost is aptly brutal and compulsively readable.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I've heard about for awhile and resisted reading because it just sounded like it would be SO SAD, but now it's 2017 and we're all sad all the time so I picked it up.

And I'm glad I did! It is sad--it's the story of a Choctaw boy and his family who are forced on the Trail of Tears. And since the book is narrated by Isaac's ghost, we know the boy dies...but the book's tone and cultural attitude toward death/ghosts make it...well, just slightly less crushing to read. It's a very engaging and moving read.

A great one for fans of historical fiction, but also has a slight supernatural flair to it.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Tingle has become a favorite writer of mine. His mastery of storytelling is obviously viewed by some as oversimplification. That's unfortunate. This book could not have been better. A far cry from O'Dell's SING DOWN THE MOON. Tingle is Oklahoma Choctaw and his great-great grandfather walked the a Trail of Tears. The pain, humor and love in this book are real. Can't wait for the next two books in the trilogy.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Odd and unlike much of anything I've read this year, Tingle's book is jam-packed with action, a healthy dose of humor (hard to do when your subject is The Trail of Tears), and enough unexpected surprises to keep you turning the pages.

[Billy Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has to be the best one I'v read in a while. Its all about sadness and sorrow. Their is so much problem solving involved in this book its a must read! The main character is having trouble and goes through some hard times and he has to help his friend find his lost sister Anomi. One day he is doing something down by the river and spots a wolf. That was the ending to his life and he becomes a ghost but it is still up to him to help find Anomi. Later in the book he finds some cool power that can make him talk to real life people and that's how he helps his friend find his sister. That same day he realizes all the ghosts can see whats happening and he lets them all help find the missing, young, and important Anomi.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4th grade students loved this book! They rioted every time book I tried to close it. They are so excited that it's a series!

I would be cautious in the middle, especially if you know you have students who struggle with depression. A pretty obvious spoiler, considering the title but: when Isaac dies, there is a lot of language around the peace of death. Do your best to read at least two more chapters after this. Make sure you do a quick "how do you feel?" writing check in and read them just in case anyone is intrigued by the idea of a peaceful death. Listen to any students who might be reaching out with scary thoughts.

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great historical fiction about the Trail of Tears for young readers. It's got quite a lot of death (and some of it rather gruesome, such as dying in fires or freezing to death on the trail), but the tone of the book is still somewhat lighthearted as it focuses on the ghosts of everyone who dies becoming a part of the ancestors that support the Choctaw community. There was also a lot of action and magic in this, which helped balance the heavy content. If you want to learn about both the Trail of Tears and Choctaw culture/beliefs while also reading an engaging story, I think this is a good book to pick up.

[Terragyrl3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this to students in my library. The author has twisted many tropes: the Trail of Tears was tragic but doesn’t define the Choctaw people; ghosts exist but are not scary vengeful beings; and oppressed people are not spiritually conquered. Even a bad old white guy is given a tiny sliver of humanity at the end. My only comment is that the groups are very separate: Choctaw or White Army Guy. There are no social complexities like mixed race people or assimilated Choctaws. But it’s a short straightforward story not intending to be nuanced.

[Mike Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction for the young reader to the history of the Indian Removal Act and the Choctaw Trail of Tears experience. I highly recommend this book for an entertainingly educational reading experience. Laughter, tears, faith, and family in a perfect mix of Choctaw culture.

[Desirae Barnes]

I really liked it and as soon as I wake up tomorrow I'm going to start the second book

[Shaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Isaac is a young Choctaw boy who starts to get nervous when Treaty Talk increases in his village. Everyone knows they have to leave soon, but then, the whole village is burned and tribe members are hunted. They find themselves on the Trail of Tears, with no preparation or recourse. Isaac sees the ghosts of those who have been killed, and learns that he, too, will soon become a ghost. This is his story.

This book is middle grade gold, written by a Choctaw author about the Choctaw experience on the Trail of Tears. Bring your tissues and be aware that there is a lot of death, but I learned way more in this fictional account than I ever have from an encyclopedia or history textbook.

[Cheyenne Dotson]

Have you ever wanted to speak to ghosts? The book "how i became a ghost" by Tim Tingle is a fiction book, where you can discover what it is like to speak to ghosts. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next throughout the whole book. If you are interested in ghost stories you should keep reading.

This book is about a Choctaw boy named Isaac who's family is traveling from Mississippi to the "Trail of Tears" after soldiers shot people and burned down their houses. The family escaped one night to start walking and find a new home far far away from the soldiers and their weapons. This trip is very dangerous for the all of the Choctaw people, not just this family. The days and nights are extremely cold. The families suffer many losses on this trip because many Choctaw people die from starvation, the cold, or shot by the soldiers. The conflict in this book is person vs supernatural. This is the conflict because Isaac talk to ghosts and that like sets the whole story, and when he talks to them they tell him important things. The main character Isaac is the main character is important to the story because he is able to see and speak to ghosts, and knows that he will become a ghost himself quite soon. The ghosts are the Choctaw people that had died on the trip. When he talks to the ghosts they tell him things that are going to happen. The theme of the book is that you have to be confident and brave and never give up. Isaac is ten years old and is braver than I am. He does things that can get him killed and he never stops and always keeps going even though the soldiers would kill him in an instant. He went to save Naomi and in the process he risked his life to help her when he was attacked by a wolf and was killed. Even as a ghost he kept trying to help save and even as a ghost he succeeded, and saved Naomi's life.

The first person point of view affects the story because Isaac can see ghosts and they tell him things, so when Isaac is talking to the ghosts you find out things that are very important to the story. When Isaac talks to the ghosts he finds out that he will soon become a ghost himself, so as you read all you think about is when he will become a ghost. Also, when Isaac talks about what the families are going through and the conditions they are traveling in it just draws you into the book because it just makes the whole experience more interesting.

I was surprised when the author would always throw in plot twists and suspenseful events. Some events that are thrown in are when Isaac needs to save Naomi and when the soldiers go to look for Naomi and they do everything to try to sabotage and harm the Choctaw people. The author would always keep you engaged in the book throughout the whole entire story by throwing these events into the book over and over again to keep you interested.

I would give this book a five star rating. I rated it this way because the book kept me engaged the whole way through. I always was interested in the book and it always kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ghost stories and suspenseful books. You will not be disappointed with this book.

[Melani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not super impressed by the prose here. There is a way to write children's books, books for very young readers even, that don't involve Dick and Jane levels of prose. Ok, the book is slightly better then Dick and Jane, but only just. The plotting of the book isn't as tight as I think the story deserves, there's a lot of "and then this character appeared to help solve the problem" which isn't quite deux ex machina, but it is the close cousin.

My biggest issue though is the dissonance between the reading level of the book and the content of the book. The conflict between the simplistic, childish language used in the text and the terrible things that happen in the book is a weird one. I'm just not sure who the book is for. I'd put the book at a solid 1st grade reading level, but I don't think the content is necessarily appropriate for first graders. A young child freezes to death because she rolled out of her blanket. People are burned alive. I know the story it's telling is gruesome, it should be gruesome, but I personally would have reservations before giving it to a six or seven year old.

And I've been reading around and learned the book is targeted at 10 year olds. That makes more sense content wise, but is the reading level in our country really so bad that this level of prose is considered age appropriate? I can think of dozens of books targeted at 10 year olds with much more complicated prose.

[Brooke C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I Became A Ghost by Tim Tingle (a book that has a tremendous twist!) A ten year old Choctaw boy named Isaac is living in his very loved home with his Mother, Father, his dog named Jumper and his big brother, Luke. The story takes place in Choctaw Nation, Mississippi, 1830. Isaac (the narrator), starts the story off by saying "MAYBE YOU HAVE never read a book written by a ghost before. I am a ghost." The story is about the journey on how Isaac became a ghost. Isaac has the ability to see how people die before they even do. This is what makes the story very interesting. The Choctaws are on a mission to "say good bye to their home". In the story Isaac faces internal conflict. For example Isaac experienced character vs. self. Isaac was unsure of himself when he saw ghosts around talking to him. Isaac also faces character vs. nature. The weather is starting to shift to winter, Isaac and his family have lost their home and are living of of the wilderness. I really enjoyed this book! The book had many exciting twists throughout the story. The story does start off a little bit confusing so it may be kind of hard to catch on to. I rate this book five stars! I recommend this book to someone who can catch on to a mystery very easily because it is very confusing in some parts. I think this book can be a good fit for fourth grade through high school as well.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about how family and relationships really come together in the old Choctaw land. when Isaac hears about the treaty talk in town, his family knows they need to leave. they walk on the trail of tears, an old path where thousands of Choctaws are walking away from the homes they loved. when Isaac is killed by a wolf, his ghost still helps guide the way. I hope you read this book about moving on and keeping your eyes on where you are going.

[Adrianna Pryor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my kids as one of our homeschool read aloud. WE WERE HOOKED. My whole family got involved with this one. My husband would even ask us to wait for him to hear the story. We are brought on the journey known as the "Trail of Tears" with the choctaw nation. We follow along with two families and how this terrible series of events changes their lives forever. We cried ugly tears. We learned so much of the culture. It is a book that will stick with us forever.

[Emma López · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 this is a sad book
But amazing at the same time

[jayway · Rating 3 out of 5]

erm, that was just for book club, i need the extra books

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a ghost? “how i became a ghost” is a fantasy fiction book, that takes you on Isaac’s, the main character, journey on before and after he became a ghost. “how i became a ghost” is a book that is full of suspense with unexpected twist and turns that will change your predictions of the story.

One of the plot twist in the story have to do with the setting of the story, because it starts in Isaac’s Choctaw home, but ends by the Trail of Tears. The setting change was caused by soldiers burning the Choctaw homes and forcing the Choctaw families, including Isaac, to travel away from their homes. The Choctaws end up in camps near the Trail of Tears, because of the many people who have lost their lives in the troubles they faced, including Isaac’s family. The Choctaws wanted to travel, find new homes to live, and get away from the soldiers at the same time. However, it was during winter, causing many Choctaws to die, and wherever they went, the soldiers followed. Therefore, the Choctaws used blankets, which some of the blankets carried an illness, to keep warm and were on the move to keep away from the soldiers. Then, there were lots of obstacles that occurred, and the Choctaws got the leader of the soldiers to command his camp to leave the Choctaws in peace. The conflict of “how i became a ghost” is Isaac vs society, because he struggles to save the Choctaws from the soldiers and the fact that he enters the ghost world during this process. One of the themes of this book is to set goals and to stick to them no matter what happens, because Isaac made sure to make everyone happy, and save the Choctaws that the soldiers captured. However, Isaac became a ghost, but he still had many other ghost friends that helped him in his new world and guided his friends in the real world, without the soldiers knowing he was there. Also, when Isaac was not a ghost he still did things that may have made him become one, just so he can stick to his promise and save the captured Choctaw girl, Naomi.

The major event that changed Isaac is the moment that he went with Joseph, his companion, towards the other Choctaws’ camp, and got attacked and killed by a wolf. This event changed Isaac negatively and positively, by preventing him from actually being able to grab things and move things around and by gathering information on the soldiers. The negatives are that Isaac can’t interact in the real world as good he used to and can’t really do much to save his friends if he is alone. In contrast, the positives are that Isaac can be invisible to one’s eye, gather information that real world Choctaws would not be able to get, and he can be where ever he want if he just things about that particular place. This is a major change because he has to adapt and adjust to his new lifestyle, and the readers can kind of get a perspective of what it might be like to be a ghost.

“how i became a ghost” surprised me at the moments where Isaac had almost became a ghost and when he became a ghost, because you would not expect the main character to die and still get the main goal accomplished. Also, Isaac was so young when he died and his family did go into grief, but after a few days they seemed to handle it fine after seeing Isaac's ghost. However, it did give a little suspense off of the book, because Isaac knew he was going to die, but it was also a major plot twist as well. The near death experiences for Isaac always had suspense to the reader, because Isaac knew his death was coming soon, so it makes the reader wonder if he will die at that moment. These things did have me in shock, but I think it is one of the reasons on why it made the book better.

In conclusion, I would give “how i became a ghost” a 4 out of 5 star rating, because I felt that it could have been longer and show more of how the Choctaws managed to survive. Besides that, I think the book had many suspenseful moments, which I find interesting in books, and told a great story. I would recommend this book to anyone who like fantasy books or plot twist/suspenseful books, because it included many shocking events, and included what might be what it feels like to be a ghost, but it is not proven to be the real way it feels like to be one. If you enjoy plot twist or are interested in what it might be like to be a ghost, then “how i became a ghost” is a book that I would definitely recommend for you to read.

[Ardae Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young man who is apart of the Choctaw nation and a treaty is being signed with them and the English Pilgrims. In case you were wondering, yes this is a true story about the average Native American nations getting removed or signed their rights and deeds to the English. As the father who goes to hunter hears about it in town he goes home to tell his family they have to pack up. The mother goes to show her son the natives, ancestors, descendants, and seniors paying homage and respects to their land as a result of saying goodbye. Some rub their dry backs on trees. Some play in the rivers and some play and dance. But through this the young boy sees visions. He gets tingles of warmth shivers and he see's the people actually on fire. The Pilgrims from Europe gave them blankets that had smallpox on them and the family decided to leave. They left and met a new family who they all take care of each other. The story title reinforces how people he seen recently die in a fire is prompting him to follow him. This meant that he was going to die soon. He is being beckoned by people named Mr. And Mrs. Jonas. He watched/watches many people die and he had the vision that Nita a new family member will die. The boy's name is Isaac in which the story is told in and his brothers Jumper and Luke. Soon he told them that something will go wrong and then his vision came to pass. Nita had died and women came around her to sing a native song.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, how does one really become a ghost? I can’t imagine that everyone that leaves this earth, is sent in this direction. Does Isaac come back as a helpful ghost or a ghost that has unfinished business to attend to? A casualty of the Trail of Tears, Isaac narrates for us, how he became a ghost in 1830, while living in the Choctaw Nation in Mississippi, which I found entertaining and interesting.

Isaac begins his story as a 10-year-old child living with his family. His best friend is his dog which he does everything with. Treaty Talk. When Isaac overhears his parents talking about the subject, he remembers that Treaty Talk and Nahullos go hand-in-hand, a serious situation for the Choctaw Nation. Mother leads Isaac on a series of walks that day as he witnesses important events that are being held by his community. Gracious! What Isaac witnesses with his very own eyes is totally different from what his own mother sees, who is standing right beside him. Good heavens, Isaac is a young child and he sees this!?! I’m with Isaac when he questions his mother about what he’s seeing, yet her response is not what I’d expect from his very own mother. This Treaty Talk has a shattering effect on their town and the individuals inside it.

I had a few questions as I read this book, perhaps it was because I analyzed what was happening too much instead of just going with the flow. Why were some individuals shape shifters, some ghosts, some……? Did that have to do with lineage? Didn’t Isaac think it was strange as a child to hear a dog talk? Didn’t he once read in a book that dog’s go, bark, bark? Did he realize when he was little, that he was unique? I liked learning about the Choctaw traditions and practices. I enjoyed the relationships that Isaac built in the book and how he accepted his fate and assisted others. There’s an engaging story inside this short book.
“Choctaws never say “good-bye.” There is no word for it. We say “chi pisa la chike, which means, “I will see you again, in the future.””

[Dioselina Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Spoiler Alert*
"I see things before they happen. You are probably thinking "I wish I could see things before they happen. Well be careful what you wish for." The genre of this book is historical fiction. I liked this book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

A boy named Issac lead a normal life in Choctaw Nation, Mississippi, 1830. He lived with his father, mother, an older brother, and his dog jumper. One day Issac's dad went out to fish and when he came back he told his family that there was a treaty talk going around. The family knew this wasn't a good thing, so Issac's mom took him to go look at the elders of the Choctaw Nation. That is where he found that he could see things before they happen. During the long amount of time he soon becomes ghost himself.

A major event that changed the character was when treaty talk started to go around in Choctaw Nation this really changed the character and his whole family. The 1st person point of view affects the story because you get hands on accounts of what is happening from the person who sees when things are going to happen. The setting adds conflict because in Choctaw nation this is where many people have to leave their land and homes because of this treaty talk. The title relates to the book because sometime in this book the narrator dies and becomes a ghost but you have to pay close attention.

I was angry when his mother wouldn't tell him why he was seeing people dying in the beginning of the book, it got me very upset because after Issac would ask she would say the same thing over and over. I liked the way the author set this setting because I feel as if it adds more conflict and especially with the time period as is it made for a lot of tension. My favorite part was when he started to see when thing were going to happen because that was the beginning of a huge start for Issac. If I were the author I would have gave a little more background information on what "treaty talk" was because at first as the reader I thought a treaty was a good thing and it would have been helpful to have more information on this topic.

I give this book 4 stars out of 5 because though I liked the book I just wished that some things would have turned out differently or even just having some more information. I would recommend this book to anyone because I felt like everyone would enjoy this book, not just one certain group of people. This book had many twists and turns but it still keeps you on your toes.

[Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for school prep. This book was powerful and beautiful, but devastating and difficult at the same time. Any story about the Trail of Tears is going to be heartbreaking, but I really appreciated the hope that shone through despite the terrible circumstances. Hope in family, community, in forgiveness, and in understanding who the Choctaw are as a nation.

There is a lot of death in this book, and that can make it hard to figure out what is age appropriate. I'm struck again with the thoughts I had after reading the March series though, that this is our history even if it isn't the work of our own hands or something done to us. These stories are better told young, because we need to be aware of history to rightly see our role in the present. The writing style is quite simple for this book, but I think that it still manages to depict a powerful and important story.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I Became A Ghost is required reading.

Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, this story is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy. Written by Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the fictional story, though based in truth, is filled with suspense and sadness. Native people were treated absolutely horrifically, and shame on my and everyone’s white ancestors for their behavior. It’s inexcusable.

This book is a fantastic resource for young (and old) readers who want to learn more about the Trail of Tears; the writing is accessible, and the book clocks in just under 200 pages. At the time I’m writing this review, I finished the book two days ago, and I’m still thinking about the story and this time in America’s history. This story and the history of our country are haunting.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isaac is a Choctaw boy who lets the reader know that he is going to become a ghost. Isaac and his family and their village are displaced and forced to move by the Nahullos (white soldiers) and walk what is known to today as the Trail of Tears. There is a lot of magical realism with this story as Isaac has visions, his friend Joseph is a shape shifter, and he and his dog Jumper can talk to each other. The main plot point of the story is that Joseph and Isaac plan to rescue a Choctaw girl, who was taken from her family so she can do the soldiers cooking and cleaning. The author is Choctaw himself and a storyteller besides being an author. I wish he would have added an author's note on some of magical realism elements and how that plays into the Choctaw culture