Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: 9-12
Interest Level: 8-12
Themes: identity,
coming of age, family, love, friendship, loyalty, trust, persevering, LGBTQ,
Latino identity
Awards: Lambda
Literary Award, Stonewall Book Award, Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award , Pura
Belpre Award, Michael L. Printz
Sensitivity Issues : Homosexuality
What I Thought
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of theUniverse is another favorite and
responsive summer read. It is
lyrical, passionate and quietly
draws you into the memorable and emotional story of Aristotle(Ari) Mendoza and
Dante Quintana, two Mexican American 15 year olds, who spend a year growing and
learning about friendship, family, love and manhood.
Although I immediately
loved Saenz’s spare, honest sentences, I had to consider how engaging a story it
would be for some underserved and/or reluctant readers. Admittedly, the pace is langorous, and
struggling readers might have
trouble getting into it. While not exactly “action” packed, it is clear, vivid
and compelling in it’s depictions of the two young men, struggling to grow into
their identities and sexuality. With teacher passion, front loading, engaging literacy activities and discussion it can work
fine.
Instructional Possibilities
There are many
instructional possibilities with this story. The novel is wonderful for studies
of setting, and characterization. Dante and Ari present many possibilities for
comparison and contrast both subtle and obvious. The minor characters are also interesting, layered and add to the complexities of the story and it’s themes, including
Ari’s parents who each have had
their challenges with types of mental illness. For Ari’s dad, the trauma of the Vietnam war haunt him years after he has returned home. For his mother, a nervous breakdown in
her past remains a quiet tension in the home. In addition, studies of the
Vietnam War, the Italian poet Dante and Greek philosopher Aristotle would be
appropriate.
Cultural Authenticity
The novel dips below the surface on the Iceberg of Culture on several issues. In dealing
with the homosexuality of both Dante and Ari, Saenz does so while
simultaneously dealing with the
nature of friendships, adolescence and manhood. Saenz deals with subject of homosexuality
subtly, which works in this novel. It flows into the story as one part of the multi
layered coming of age that these young men are grappling with. As a
heterosexual, I can’t speak to the authenticity of this representation, but as
a black woman, I can speak to the reality that daily living within marginalized
culture is not singularly focused
on one aspect of identity. The story of Ari and Dante’s emergent love for one
another seems to unfold honestly. Their coming of age is seen through multiple rings of
culture, age, gender, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and sexual orientation.
It seems that even before grappling with their homosexuality, both young men are
working through their understanding of what it means to Mexican/Mexican
American. Saenz presents us with snapshots of diversity within ethnicity, that
of course is also reality. He does
this honestly and it reminds us that left to the devices of the media, and/or
our biases, ethnicity can become monolithic
and stereotyped.
We really try not to do “Heritage Months” at Responsive Reads, because the GOAL
is to be “responsive”, EVERYDAY,
buuutttt…June is LGBTQ month and this is a GREAT Responsive Read, so GO GET
IT!! Go get it right now!
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