Book Review: Loser
After reading Loser by Jerry Spinelli, I realized two things:
- Kids can be so cruel.
- I admire Donald Zinkoff.
Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli brings readers a thought-provoking and inspiring story of Donald Zinkoff as he travels from first through sixth grade. However, Zinkoff is not a normal child. He's slower at learning than the other kids, he's disheveled, and his lack of athletic skills prevents him from ever being picked to participate in activities. In every way, he's different from the other kids.
But . . . Zinkoff is unaware of all of this. He is too busy thinking about himself to notice what others are thinking. He is busy growing up. He is busy growing out. (p.111)
Zinkoff is really nice, and he's totally happy just being who he is, whether other people like him or not. While many of us strive so hard to fit in, I really admire Zinkoff's ability to keep on being himself even though the other kids are mean to him.
I think Spinelli does amazing job at narrating the story, truly getting at the heart of Zinkoff's innocence and naiveté so that readers can relate to what Zinkoff is going through. In a way, Zinkoff reminds me of Forrest Gump from the film, Forrest Gump (rated PG-13), who is man with low IQ, but who has good intentions and accomplishes great things in life.
I give Loser by Jerry Spinelli 4.1 out of 5 stars.
—Carly M., STACKS Staffer
BONUS WRITING PROMPT: In the Middle School Survival series, the popular kids are called “pops.” What would your group of friends be called? Leave your answer in the Comments.
Ny group is called the weirdo-cool kids cause were weird and cool(at the same time)
Comment #26 | Posted by: Guest on December 26, 2009 at 11:18 PM
My friends would be called the in the middles. Cuz I am friends with the pops and the unpops
I give this book a total 5.0
Comment #27 | Posted by: CuddlyPanda_ on December 27, 2009 at 07:16 PM
I almost cried when zinkoff sold his giraffe :'(
Comment #28 | Posted by: Emma on December 30, 2009 at 09:45 PM
the popular group in my skool is me, aiden (aidencagebffls is her user name), kira (kira123 is hers), cage (cageaidenbffls),shana, lili (lilibfflsyea), n kayla (kayladancer) we all have 1 cause the teachers 4 language arts
Comment #29 | Posted by: aliciaurbestie on January 01, 2010 at 09:05 PM
yea scence we go 2 the same skool my popular group is the same as alicias!!
Comment #30 | Posted by: aidencagebffls on January 01, 2010 at 09:06 PM
We were called "the nerds" To be come a "nerd" answer the following questions
1.Do you like pasta?
2.Are you consitered cool?
3.Are you popular?
4.Are you smart?
if answered no or a little bit to any of these you are a
half and half (part nerd part normal
Comment #31 | Posted by: david on January 15, 2010 at 09:42 AM
this book is the best book ever made. I love it.
Comment #32 | Posted by: crazy man 27 on January 15, 2010 at 01:24 PM
I have not read this book yet if you think it's good, comment back. Because I don't wanna read it if it's a bunch of junk. Nobody wants to read junk, so please comment if you think it's worth reading.
Comment #33 | Posted by: Nathan on January 22, 2010 at 09:31 AM
i;m in G.A.T.E so my group of friends is the "Nerd Herd"
Comment #34 | Posted by: fr33dom on January 22, 2010 at 09:56 AM
My group of friends would be called.... probably the junior pops. Or maybe the almost pops. But most likely the funny pops!!! There's like a million people in the group. I lost count because I'm in the funny pops in like every period of the school day.
Comment #35 | Posted by: cocobear08 on January 26, 2010 at 08:17 PM
i have read that book so many times i can read it without looking! i love that book! :)
Comment #36 | Posted by: amanda on January 28, 2010 at 09:53 AM
I read this book, I liked it, but, it was a bit odd. And it made me so sad, too, thinking about how mean people could be.
Comment #37 | Posted by: BaconB on February 04, 2010 at 08:16 PM
we would be called " the wierdos"!!! but not always bad!!!! lol and we know how to keep secrets so its not all bad!
Comment #38 | Posted by: kellbel98 on February 06, 2010 at 10:19 PM
Ah! i LOVE this book! Ive read it like 6 times! I love how you can just totally see it all in your mind. Amazing work! :)! BTW I consider myself part of no group or clique. I also think its wrong to disclude people that way. Dont stick to a few friends. Be everyones friend :D
Comment #39 | Posted by: ashlyn on February 11, 2010 at 07:33 AM
bahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Comment #40 | Posted by: rr12106 on February 11, 2010 at 04:51 PM
I never read this book. Is it about a chold who never had friend's and he did all of these weierd thing's
but then he got a friend that was cool and then they called him a loser but he doesn't care that much?
Comment #41 | Posted by: Brian on February 12, 2010 at 02:52 PM
When my teacher read to me it was kind of funny but I still liked it.
Comment #42 | Posted by: suel67 on March 12, 2010 at 02:51 PM
They file by. Some whisper the word. Some say it aloud. Each pronounces it perfectly.
"Loser."
"Loser."
"Loser."
"Loser."
"Loser."
- p.107
ZINKOFF RULES!!!
Comment #43 | Posted by: percyj99 on March 13, 2010 at 07:12 PM
We're proudly called the DORKS.
PERCY JACKSON (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), HARRY POTTER (Harry Potter),GREG HEFFLEY (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), DONALD ZINKOFF (Loser), and ARTHUR PENHALIGON (The Keys to the Kingdom) are DA BEST!!!
Comment #44 | Posted by: percyj99 on March 13, 2010 at 07:18 PM
We definitely wouldn't be the Pops, or the Geeks, or anything like that. We could be called the Flock, because we all love Maximum Ride. We cold also be called the Smart/Pops, but thats not very creative.
Comment #45 | Posted by: Grandesong on April 13, 2010 at 08:04 PM
I love Stargirl the best!!!
Comment #46 | Posted by: s on April 20, 2010 at 08:47 PM
Me and my friends don't really have a name we just kind of in the middle were not popular but we not geeks were just there
Comment #47 | Posted by: rock255 on March 18, 2011 at 11:03 AM