Dante N. Ferno Is NOT a Loser

Gr 3-6–Living in the shadow of a volcano, Dante is not living life that he imagines. Despite his parents’ best effort to support and encourage him, Dante lives life in the dumps pestered by his siblings and humiliated by school bullies. This year, however, as he moves from a local elementary school to the community middle school, he is determined to reinvent himself. He cycles through various new looks and identities, but the first day of middle school is filled with mishaps and miscues until a new student asks if he can sit next to him. Virgil is from the other side of town living above the clouds and doesn’t know anyone from Dante’s side of town. The guys strike up a friendship. Visiting each other’s homes and trying new foods is eye-opening for both. Despite not really being into studying, Dante recognizes with Virgil’s smarts, they could win the upcoming academic tournament and gain middle school popularity and acceptance. Illustrations throughout the book make the story very accessible. Readers won’t understand the references to Dante’s Inferno, but they will identify with Dante and Virgil as being outsiders trying to fit in and cheer them on while having a good laugh along the way.