33. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli (Scholastic, 2000)

GENRE: Contemporary

HONORS: ABC Children’s Booksellers Choices Award, American Booksellers Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Arizona Young Readers’ Award, Charlotte Award, Garden State Teen Book Award, Iowa Teen Award, NAIBA Book of the Year Award, Young Adult Book Award, Young Hoosier Book Award

REVIEW:

At Mica Area High School, everyone dresses the same, talks the same, listens to the same music, and even eats the same food.  That is until Leo’s first day in eleventh grade when his whole life changes.  That is the day that Stargirl appears.  With her unique outfits, pet rat, and ukulele, Stargirl does not seem to notice that she stands out from the crowd.  Either that or she doesn’t care.  She is just being herself.  Even her name changes as she grows older and develops as a person.  Initially shunned, something miraculous happens when Stargirl becomes the most popular girl in school.  People are suddenly free to express their uniqueness and they do!  However, as wise Archie tells Leo, “The trouble with miracles is, they don’t last long.”

OPINION:

With Stargirl, Spinelli creates a story about conformity, showing that, even though we know it is better to be an individual, sometimes the comforts of the group win out.  Tween readers will recognize themselves in the characters of the novel, whether they are more like Stargirl or Leo or even popular Hillari.  With Leo as the narrator, readers will gather a deeper understanding of the effects that nonconformity can have on a society, as well as the damage that groupthink can have upon an individual.  Also, by addressing Stargirl’s inability to conform even for the boy she loves, the novel discusses the importance of being yourself and valuing your own happiness.  The message in the novel is one that all tweens should take in and, hopefully, it can change their attitudes about popularity and expand their tolerance for people that are different from them.

IDEAS:

On Jerry Spinelli’s website, he includes a list detailing how to start a Stargirl Society and I think this would make a wonderful library program, encouraging tweens to express their individuality and practice tolerance toward others.  After reading Stargirl, tweens can take part in activities inspired by events in the book, such as those suggested on Spinelli’s site: http://www.jerryspinelli.com/stargirl.htm.