Tim Tingle facts for kids

Tim Tingle is a talented author and storyteller. He is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He has written over twenty books for young readers and adults. His stories often share important parts of Native American history and culture.

Tim Tingle's Early Life

Tim Tingle grew up near Houston, Texas, on the Gulf Coast. He is an Oklahoma Choctaw, meaning his family comes from the Choctaw people in Oklahoma. His family has a long history. His great-great-grandfather, John Carnes, was part of the difficult journey known as the Trail of Tears in 1835. This was when many Native American people were forced to move from their homes.

Tim's grandmother also went to Native American boarding schools in the early 1900s. To keep their Choctaw culture alive, Tim's family shared many stories. These stories taught him about their heritage and the challenges Native Americans have faced.

Tim Tingle's Education

Tim Tingle studied English at the University of Texas. He earned his first degree there. Later, he went to the University of Oklahoma. In 2003, he received his master's degree in English Literature. During this time, he focused on Native American Studies. This helped him learn even more about his heritage.

Tim Tingle's Career as an Author and Storyteller

Tim Tingle is a popular storyteller at festivals across the country. He started telling stories when he visited his son's school. He often performs at the Texas Storytelling Festival. In 2002, he was a special guest at the National Storytelling Festival.

Tim has also spoken at important places like the Library of Congress in 2011. In 2014, he was a featured author and speaker at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.. He has even traveled to Germany more than ten times. There, he taught children and military families about his experiences as a Choctaw Native American. Tim also spoke at the Native American section of the Smithsonian Institution in 2006 and 2007.

Tim's first book was Walking the Choctaw Road. It was named the Best Anthology of 2003 by Storytelling World Magazine. He has won many awards for his books written for young people. His work Flying Lessons was part of a collection of stories. This collection was put together by Ellen Oh for the We Need Diverse Books movement. This movement helps make sure there are many different kinds of books for kids to read.

Selected Works

Anthologies and Short Stories

• Walking the Choctaw Road (Cinco Puntos Press, 2003) ISBN: 978-0938317746
• Texas Ghost Stories (Texas Tech University Press, 2004) ISBN: 978-0896725263
• Spooky Texas Tales (Texas Tech University Press, 2005) ISBN: 978-0896725652
• Spirits Dark and Light: Supernatural Tales from the Five Civilized Tribes (August House Publishers, 2006) ISBN: 978-0874837780
• More Spooky Texas Tales (Texas Tech University Press, 2010) ISBN: 978-0896727007
• Flying Lessons and Other Stories (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017) ISBN: 978-1101934593

Standalone Stories

• Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom (Cinco Puntos Press, 2008) ISBN: 978-1933693200
• Saltypie (Cinco Puntos Press, 2010) ISBN: 978-1933693675
• When Turtle Grew Feathers (August House Publishers, 2013) ISBN: 978-1939160218
• House of Purple Cedar (Cinco Puntos Press, 2014) ISBN: 978-1935955245
• How I Became a Ghost (Roadrunner Press, 2015) ISBN: 978-1937054557
• When a Ghost Talks, Listen (Roadrunner Press, 2018) ISBN: 978-1937054519
• Stone River Crossing (Tu Books, 2019) ISBN: 978-1937054519

Danny Blackgoat Series

• Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner (7th Generation Publishers, 2013) ISBN: 978-1939053039
• Danny Blackgoat, Rugged Road to Freedom (7th Generation Publishers, 2014) ISBN: 978-1939053053

No Name Series

• No Name (7th Generation, 2014) ISBN: 978-1-939053-06-0
• No More No Name (7th Generation, 2017) ISBN: 978-1-939053-17-6
• A Name Earned (7th Generation, 2018) ISBN: 978-1-939053-18-3
• Trust Your Name (7th Generation, 2018) ISBN: 978-1-939053-19-0
• Name Your Mountain (7th Generation, 2020) ISBN: 978-1-939053-20-6

Honors and Awards

Tim Tingle has received many awards for his amazing books and storytelling:

• 2018 Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award
• Spirits Dark and Light: Supernatural Tales from the Five Civilized Tribes — 2006 IndieFab Award, Popular Culture (third place)
• Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom — 2007 American Library Association - Notable Children's Book (winner)
• How I Became a Ghost — 2013 and 2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award - Middle School (winner)
• House of Purple Cedar — 2016 American Indian Youth Literature Award - Young Adult (winner)
• Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner — 2013 and 2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award - Middle School (Honor Book); 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award - Multicultural Fiction Young Adult (bronze medal winner)