Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

• Genre: Fiction; young adult realistic
• Originally Published: 2012
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile HL380L; grades 7-10
• Structure/Length: 6 parts; 105 chapters; approx. 384 pages; approx. 7 hours, 30 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In this coming-of-age story, teenagers Ari and Dante, both loners, meet at a swimming pool in El Paso, Texas. As the two become friends and eventually fall in love, Dante teaches Ari to be vulnerable.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Anti-gay bullying

Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Author

• Bio: Born 1954 in Old Picacho, New Mexico; earned a BA in Humanities and Philosophy at St. Thomas Seminary in 1977; was a priest for several years before returning to school to study writing; won an American Book Award in 1992 for his first poetry collection, Calendar of Dust; was first Hispanic author to win PEN/Faulkner Award (2013); lives and works in El Paso, Texas
• Other Works: Carry Me Like Water (1995); Last Night I Sang to the Monster (2009); The Inexplicable Logic of My Life (2017); Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (2020)
• Awards: Printz Honor Book (2013); ALA Stonewall Award (2013); Pura Belpré Award (2013); Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit: