Published in 2003, Jerry Spinelli's Loser is a children's novel about a boy who struggles to fit in with his peers due to his clumsiness, poor grades, and lack of self-awareness. Nicknamed "Loser" after failing to win a team race, Donald Zinkoff becomes the target for teasing and taunting. Despite adversity, Zinkoff remains enthusiastic about school and life. The book follows Zinkoff from first grade to middle school, detailing an inner life that is upbeat and imaginative despite the bullying, ridicule, and invisibility he faces.
Although the novel does not make it explicit, Spinelli depicts Zinkoff as neurodivergent. Zinkoff's lack of self-consciousness, reduced motor functions, and difficulty with penmanship and standardized education are evidence of Zinkoff having a neurological state that is atypical. With no support tailored to his needs and abilities, Zinkoff is left to adapt to the school environment as it is, leading him to be seen as abnormal by prejudiced students and teachers.
Upon its publication, Loser received positive reviews from critics and readers for its poignant portrayal of a kind-hearted boy who is ostracized for his obliviousness and failure to succeed within a system that rewards abilities he lacks. Kirkus Reviews praises Spinelli for "provid[ing] such a steady look at a marginalized child that readers will see past limiting social categories or awkward outsides to the complex mix of past, present, and promise at the core of every individual."
