Lowitt, H.N. The Loser List: Jinx of The Loser.

-->

Lowitt, H.N.  The Loser List: Jinx of The Loser.  Scholastic Press      2013  197p  ISBN 978-0-545-50794-3  ms    VG      Realistic fiction

Danny Shine is a typical twelve-year-old at Gerald Ford Middle School.  However, like most students this age will understand, he considers himself a loser since he is not part of the jocks, brains, or popular cliques.  Although this is the third book in The Loser List series, it also works well as a stand-alone novel.

This book provides comic relief and will appeal to many middle-school readers.  Feeling alone and like an outcast, Danny Shine feels even worse when he seems to be to blame for numerous unfortunate incidents.  Relating typical daily occurrences in middle schools, H. N. Kowitt tells a familiar story, using humor to convey the exaggerated impact that the characters feel from the incidents that occur.  Additionally, the hand-written font and black-and-white illustrations add a lighthearted feeling and provide a less threatening approach to the text.  Fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will find familiarity in the format of The Loser List and welcome a new and different series of plots.
 
This fun story will appeal to many young and reluctant readers as they compare their daily middle-school lives to the catastrophic experiences of David Shine.  Many young readers will find comfort and humor in this all-too-familiar tale.
     

This is the third book in The Loser List series.  The other titles are The Loser List #1 and Revenge of the Loser #2.  

Summary: Danny Shine considers himself a loser, but when a series of unfortunate incidents appear to be his fault, it takes the word “loser” to a whole new level.        

Boys-Coming of age-Fiction, Humor                    --Virginia McGarvey