Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship--the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/21/2012
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9781442408920
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 2.9
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 149873 / Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe


Award: Pura Belpre Award - Winner
Award: Lambda Literary Awards - Winner
Award: Volunteer State Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award - Nominee
Award: Virginia Readers Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Nutmeg Book Award - Nominee
Award: Michael L. Printz Award - Honor Book
Award: Stonewall Book Award - Winner
Award: Tayshas Reading - Commended
Award: Americas Award for Children & Young Adult Literature - Commended
Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Florida Teens Read - Finalist
Award: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 12/19/2011
Booklist 01/01/2012 pg. 99
Voice of Youth Advocates 02/01/2012 pg. 599 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
School Library Journal 02/01/2012 pg. 134
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2012
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2012 pg. 120
Kirkus Best Young-Adult Books 12/01/2012 pg. 80
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2012 pg. 33
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2012 pg. 113 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He was the first Hispanic winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and a recipient of the American Book Award for his books for adults. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpré Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He lives in El Paso, Texas.