Stargirl

Stargirl	Scholastic Inc.
Written by Jerry Spinelli	2000
Contemporary Realism	187 pages
Reading Level age 13-16

Summary

Leo heard all day about a new girl in the school, Stargirl. There were many rumors that she was an alien, a spy from the district and other things. He finally saw her at lunch. She had a sunflower bag, a rat on her shoulder and a ukulele in her hand. She sang Happy Birthday to everyone on their birthday and made cookies for home room on holidays. She was different and at first no one liked her. She put a cloth around her desk as a tablecloth and had a vase with a flower that drooped more each day. She was asked by the head cheerleader to be on the team. Suddenly she was popular and everyone mimicked her dress and unique actions. Leo was intrigued and wanted to know her, but was too nervous what everyone else thought. He eventually decided to follow her. She took him to the desert and showed him how to meditate and be nothing and everything. Then one action turned everyone against Stargirl. The basketball team had been winning and the school suddenly could not accept losing. At a game against their rivals they were down when the star of the other team was hurt. Stargirl was the first there and cradled his head until the ambulance took him. The school was furious and stopped imitating her. Leo was ignored when he was around her. He needed other people to recognize him to feel validated. He slowly withdrew from Stargirl and avoided her around school. He wanted her to be like everyone else, so he could have her and his friends. One day, she came to school looking like a normal person. Leo loved it, he could have both. Susan, Stargirl’s real name, was obsessed with what was normal and did everything the way it was supposed to be. Some days after being Susan, Stargirl went back to her ukulele strumming and cookie baking. She had to be true to herself and was miserable trying to be someone she was not. Leo didn’t take her to the dance, but she went and did the bunny hop all round the dance floor, out across the golf course and back. One girl, who especially disliked Stargirl slapped her. Stargirl kissed her cheek and left. The next day Stargirl wasn’t at school. Leo looked all day and went to her house. She had moved. When she left, he kept looking for her and missed all the unique things about her and valued how special she was and how he didn’t realize that until she was gone.

Reaction

I enjoyed reading it. I liked how it was from Leo’s perspective. That way the reader was a spectator and saw what everyone else in the school saw about Stargirl. There was no side from Stargirl’s thoughts or reasons behind her ways. It encompasses the feel of high school and the pressures that Leo felt about having to fit in and not stand out in any way.

Potential Problems

This whole book is about judging someone based on looks and actions rather than what they are on the inside. Also, it is has a lot of animosity toward Stargirl. Even so, I think it portrays high school extremely well, if only just a little exaggerated.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students in middle school age range. It would help them in their social relations and see the positive and negative effects of one person can be on a student body.