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lammerman's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke my heart. It was a beautifully written and absolutely relatable story about growing up. Donald is such a real character- I just wanted to hug him and make him snickerdoodles and protect him from from the world. His purity and joy and conviction of self are things not often described in such an authentic way.
owen_z's review against another edition
2.0
more dramatic than i remembered but oh well, still sort of heartwarming :)
honeywhiskey's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite quote was as Zinkoff was about to freeze in the snow: "The top of the snow had become crusty, slick and cold and crusty. Not good for making snow angels. He should have made a snow angel before the snow got crusty. He wonders if Claudia is making snow angels. He wonders if angels are invisible in the snow. He wonders if angels make people in the snow. He wonders if Claudia is an angel..."
This is definitely worth reading, and I read it in an hour!
This is definitely worth reading, and I read it in an hour!
emoirano's review against another edition
5.0
i have read this book so much with my father. it just never gets old. about a cute innocent boy (Zinkoff), who just doesn't fit in, but helps others so much that his uniqueness actually makes him very popular. and the kid just loves school.
ianthatbookdude's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
4.0
An offbeat story that examines the term "loser" through the experiences of its protagonist. Most of the book is structured as vignettes scattered throughout Donald's younger years, highlighting occurrences both positive and negative that help to shape him as an individual. He is an odd but rather endearing kid, so it was disheartening to read about teachers who he didn't connect with and bullies who focused only on his shortcomings. For the most part, Donald displays a great amount of self-confidence and doesn't let these setbacks immediately discourage him, continuing to stay positive and upbeat. The last portion of the book is centered on a pivotal event that helps shift the image of Donald to his peers, and the last page gives readers hope that things will be much better for him in the future. I liked this a lot more than I expected to, and Donald's distinctive giraffe hat sounded like such a fun accessory for a quirky kid.
tabithaseesandcoprehendletters's review against another edition
4.0
This book was not what I was expecting.
I thought that it was going to be a huge rip-off of Wonder by R.J. Palacio but it was surprisingly very different. I really haven't enjoyed so other books by Jerry Spinelli but I thought this one was a lot better.
So it follows a boy named Zinkoff and he has a problem where he can't tell if people like him or not and so he kinda thinks that everyone is his friend. The first chapter describes what I just said sooooo beautifully.
Personally I don't think this book deserved 5 stars or 4.5 stars but I still thought it was really good. This book made me cry because all the kids at recess were laughing at him and Zinkoff thought they were laughing at him because they thought he was funny so he laughed too and it just broke my heart. But I really enjoyed it.
Some times the writing kin
I thought that it was going to be a huge rip-off of Wonder by R.J. Palacio but it was surprisingly very different. I really haven't enjoyed so other books by Jerry Spinelli but I thought this one was a lot better.
So it follows a boy named Zinkoff and he has a problem where he can't tell if people like him or not and so he kinda thinks that everyone is his friend. The first chapter describes what I just said sooooo beautifully.
Personally I don't think this book deserved 5 stars or 4.5 stars but I still thought it was really good. This book made me cry because all the kids at recess were laughing at him and Zinkoff thought they were laughing at him because they thought he was funny so he laughed too and it just broke my heart. But I really enjoyed it.
Some times the writing kin