Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Donald Zinkoff is a uniquely optimistic exuberant child that lives everyday as an adventure with loving support and encouragement from his parents. He has been considered odd by his classmates and, in fourth grade, he ruins the chances of his team winning and is nicknamed "loser". Donald moves on to middle school and is no longer a loser just a nobody. He is happy, giving and odd right until the end when he perhaps made a friend.

Donald's story is told from an omniscient point of view. It is a character study not a traditional conflict driven story. Not that Donald doesn't encounter conflict, it just doesn't end with conflict being resolved. The ending is left open for interpretation. What a character the author has created! Looking beneath the superficial to find goodness and self acceptance are the themes I took away from this book.

I was disappointed in the pacing of this book and the open ending can be challenging for readers to accept. I don't think there is a good ending because he needs to stay who he is to be true to the story. It would have made me happy to see Donald make some friends but not all"losers" do. In that regards, the open ending is appropriate.

Spinelli, J. (2002). Loser. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 0060540745