Module 5 (Part 2): Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Citation:

Sáenz, B. A. (2012). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary:
Ari, short for Aristotle, is a Mexican-American young adult living in El Paso. He goes outside every day, to the pool, to walk around, but he doesn't have any friends to do that with. Enter Dante, who first offers to teach Ari how to swim. Ari takes him up on the offer because there is just something about Dante that he is drawn to. Dante is also a Mexican- American living in El Paso, but they lead very different lives. Ari's dad is very quiet and reserves, especially since he got back from the war and Ari's brother went to jail. Dante's dad is a literature professor at the local university, a very affectionate, outwardly loving person. Aristotle and Dante spend the whole summer trying to discover the secrets of the universe.

My thoughts:
Everyone over the age of 12 should read this book. I personally listened to the version read by Lin-Manuel Miranda. His voices and the writing take the reader into the thoughts of Ari and his conflicts within his personality, as well as showing the Contrast of the overly honest and loving Dante. This story is heartbreakingly honest, shows different perspectives on the same issue, and traps you in the story. I listened to it for an entire day, and could not put it down.

Professional review:

"It's the beginning of a long, hot summer in El Paso in 1987, and fifteen-year-old Ari is restless and bored when a boy named Dante offers to teach him to swim. Dante's open demeanor is attractive to Ari, who's never really had a good friend before, and the two boys soon become inseparable despite their differences. Dante is bookish and sweet, while Ari likes to brood, specifically about his older brother whom his family never mentions because he's in prison. When Dante is almost hit by a car, Ari risks his life to save him and then pulls back emotionally from Dante's effusive gratitude, but it isn't until Dante moves away for the school year and begins experimenting with his sexuality, eventually coming to realize that he likes boys, that Ari really has to confront the secrets of his own universe. While there are lots of plot twists and some homophobic violence, there is little real conflict; instead, this is primarily a character- and relationship-driven novel, written with patient and lyrical prose that explores the boys' emotional lives with butterfly-wing delicacy. Focalized through Ari, who feels that "the problem with my life was that it was someone else's idea," this teen loner tale leavens its angst with a considerable amount of wit, especially in Ari's conversations with his mother. Readers may note that Ari's character never really overcomes his main problem, as it is his remarkably sensitive parents who ultimately clue him in to his deepest feelings for Dante and push him to accept them, but he seems to adjust to the situation as they help him realize that getting it right in this life doesn't mean not making mistakes along the way."

Coats, K. (2012). Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 65(7), 370-371. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved October 4, 2017, from Project MUSE database.

How to use in a library:

This would be a good book for many young adult displays. Some suggestions would be: award winning books, hispanic heritage month, an LBGTQ+ display and more.