Jim Thorpe: 20th-Century Jock

Lipsyte ( The Contender ; The Brave ) kicks off his Superstar Lineup series of sports biographies with two thoughtful works. Thorpe uses the story of ``perhaps the greatest all-around male athlete in American history'' as a lens through which to examine the effects of racism on Native Americans, adroitly placing Jim Thorpe in the larger context of Native American history. Lipsyte is particularly good at outlining the chilling effects of the white-run government schools on Thorpe, who later had to fight against an image of himself as ``a great performing animal.'' The same measured approach raises the Schwarzenegger book above the ordinary as well. Here Lipsyte situates Arnold among the famous strong men of history (Samson, Hercules), then places Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding fame in the context of fitness crazes of the past 150 years, skillfully synthesizing some of the important recent work in sports history and sociology. Schwarzenegger emerges warts and all, with Lipsyte touching on reports of the hero's father's Nazi sympathies, Schwarzenegger's steroid use and bullying of weaker people. Both works offer balanced portraits of memorable individuals. Photos not seen by PW . Ages 10-14. (Oct.)