Loser

Spinelli, Jerry. Loser. New York: Harper Collins, 2002.

Zinkoff laughs at the most inappropriate times, and he laughs far too long and too loud.  He never wins races.  He always has the wrong answer.  His classmates have nicknamed him "loser," although Zinkoff pretends that doesn't matter.  But one day a toddler disappears, and Zinkoff is determined to find her.  In his search, he discovers how a zero can become a hero overnight.

I liked this story.  I've read a lot of Spinelli's work, so I was interested to see what he would do with Zinkoff and the "loser" label he acquires.  I was not disappointed.