Cover of Loser

Loser

by Jerry Spinelli

Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Maine Student Book AwardGreat Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association)Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award

Loser by Jerry Spinelli is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Loser is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 4–6
Age range
Ages 9–11
Pages
224
Reading time
about 4h 5m (est.)
First published
2002
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780007143788

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

From renowned Newbery-winning author Jerry Spinelli comes a powerful story about how not fitting in just might lead to an incredible life. This classic book is perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Carl Hiaasen. Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip." Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Loser→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on families and family; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

families · family · elementary schools · family life

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Loser?
Loser is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Loser?
It takes about 4h 5m to read Loser (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Loser?
Loser appears on reading lists for Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association), Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Loser banned in schools?
Loser does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Loser explore?
Central themes in Loser include families, family, elementary schools, family life. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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