Dante N. Ferno Is NOT a Loser

by Brian Gordon

Overview

Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets the myth-mashing of Percy Jackson in this devilishly fun and highly illustrated book for kids ages 8 and up.

Dante Nimrod Ferno is winning . . . at being a loser. Ever since his pants fell down in front of the entire school, his life has been nothing short of embarrassingly uncool. Never fear, once Dante starts sixth grade, he has a 100% fool-proof plan to become the Most Popular Kid at Purg Middle School:

1. Completely reinvent himself.
2. Make a ton of new friends and humbly accept his nomination as their honorary leader.
3. Become good at sports and win all the game things.
4. Rub his newfound popularity in the face of all the haters and jerks he grew up with.

Sounds easy, right? Well, think again. Purg Middle School is full of infamous creatures from myths and legends, like the grim-reaper bus driver, Mr. Charon, and Dante’s angelic new friend, Virgil. Many of them won’t let Dante forget his dorky reputation so easily. With bullies and beasts afoot, Dante has his work cut out if he’s going to show the world that he is NOT a loser.

Filled with snarky humor and loads of black-and-white cartoon illustrations in every chapter, Brian Gordon’s Dante N. Ferno Is NOT a Loser is perfect if you’re looking for:

● Funny and universal stories for kids ages 8+ or in third grade and up
● Highly illustrated and easy-to-read books for reluctant readers
● Fresh twists on classic mythology and legends

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374395025
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	02/03/2026
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Brian Gordon decided when he was six that he was going to be a cartoonist when he grew up. He spent the rest of his childhood drawing, writing funny stories and running away from bullies who didn’t like his drawings or his stories.

Despite being told by his teachers that cartooning wasn’t a “real job,” he’s happy to have proved them wrong and has been drawing silly things for a living ever since. He spent the first half of his career making greeting cards, but for over a decade, he’s been writing Fowl Language, a webcomic read by millions around the world, about the ups and downs of parenting four kids. Now, he’s also writing stories for kids—Dante N. Ferno is his debut series for kids.

He has a wife named Cat and a dog named Pickles, who is very soft and loves getting his ears scratched.