Stargirl (Novel-Ties)

My granddaughter, age 11, just could not get into this book. I admit that she is not a person who reads a lot, but she tossed the book aside after about 3 chapters. I am going to read it to see if it is her or the book! She does like to read other stories, so maybe it is just the subject matter.

Stargirl is, essentially, a book about a girl who isn't afraid to be different, to be unique. In a town where everyone is alike and in a high school where everyone is a collective "we," she stands out and challenges people to look at things differently. Notice things. Read between the lines and not always go for the obvious.

LeoBorlock started out his 11th grade year of high school assuming it would be like every other year, but that day, something was different. People were whispering, pointing. And then he saw it - her. Stargirl - a girl who was as mysterious as her own name. With her floor length peasant skirt and ukulele strapped to her back, she said hi to people she didn't know in the hall, sang happy birthday in the cafeteria, and wore whatever she wanted, avoiding all fashion sense. For her, it wasn't how much you had, but how much you gave.

At first, the students of Mica High are scared. Then, with a dazzling display of school spirit, they're enchanted, behind her. Even Leo, who wants to stay as normal and unremarkable as his peers, finds her utterly enchanting. And then, just as quickly, everyone turns on her. Shuns her. But not Leo. He stays by her, in a trance from her beauty and free spirit. But it's not easy. For Leo, he has to learn who, or what, is more important - the girl he likes, or the rest of his high school class. And the choice isn't easy.

Stargirl shows kids that you shouldn't have to be like everyone else. That standing out could be fun, inspirational. And that you should always, always listen to your heart. Because if you don't, the results could be tragic.

I love Stargirl, not just for what the book stands for, but for how it makes me feel. At 25 it still makes me want to wave at strangers or leave pennies on the sidewalks for kids to find. I love the character of Stargirl and how strong she is. I love the character of Leo for how human he is. And I love the character of Archie, the old, retired schoolteacher who acts a bit like Mr. Miyagi-dispensing wisdom each chapter-because of how necessary he is.

The book is adorable and great for any kid-or adult-to read. It inspires you to take action, lead the crowd. Throw your head back and laugh without worrying about consequences because life isn't about being confined. It's about breaking free.

Stargirl is what the best in every person desires to be... Compassionate and spontaneous, but with completely altruistic motives to match. She truly has no ego. Leo is fascinated by her different-ness, and how she stands alone and does not seem to notice. She is friends with everyone, but still she is not loved by everyone. Those in her class seek to change her, to bring her back to what they deem comfortable and normal, while in the process, they too are becoming aware of their own uniqueness and ability to see beyond themselves. I found myself wanting to do the same. Stargirl awakened the dormant mud frog in me with her subtle ability to change the lives of others. "It was wonderful to see, wonderful to be in the middle of we mud frogs awakening all around. We were awash in tiny attentions. Small gestures, words, empathies thought to be extinct came to life. For years the strangers among us had passed sullenly in the hallways; now we looked, we nodded. We smiled... It was a rebellion she led, a rebellion for rather than against. For ourselves. For the dormant mud frogs we had been for so long(pg. 40)." Jerry Spinelli captures the essence of high school so perfectly... The spirit, the friendship, the cruelty, and the bitter reality that what is best is not always what is accepted. A definite must-read for any teen or adult.

We all know someone who marches to the beat of their own drum and is not afraid to be different. In this book, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli we felt like we were taken back to high school and were viewing the setting through the eyes of a boy named Leo.
In this book, Stargirl moves to a new town and school and takes them all on a ride with her unique style and ways. With her random acts of kindness, outlandish dress, out of the normal pet rat, and ukulele playing, Stargirl shows us all that we should not conform to the norms of society. Nonconformity is the underlying theme to this book, and shows us how we can celebrate being different.

In this book, Stargirl moves to Arizona and starts attending Mica Area High School. At Mica, everyone acts the same. If a person is different, they are not accepted. All the students want to blend in with the so called norms of the school. Mica is the typical high school that is portrayed in many books and movies (everyone wants to be popular and fit in, and everyone wants to be like the "popular" kids). At first everyone dislikes Stargirl because she is so different then everyone else. She sings to everyone on their birthday, and she does random acts of kindness. For example, she will leave little cards on everyone's desks and even bring everyone gifts on holidays. Stargirl also has a pet rat that she carries around in her bag. She plays a ukulele and prances through the halls.

Eventually, Stargirl gets on the cheerleading squad, and everyone starts to think she is so called "cool". Everyone likes her except for Hillarie Kimble, who throughout the whole book despises Stargirl because of her differences. Hillarie is the so called "popular" girl and tries to dictate the school around her.

The students in the school start embracing Stargirl's fashion and begin to dress like she does. People even start getting pet rats. However, Stargirl's cheerleading habits are far from ordinary. Instead of just cheering for her team, Stargirl cheers for both hers and the opposing team. When Mica's team loses an important game, the whole school turns on Stargirl, except for a certain boy named Leo.

This boy tries to fit in with his classmates as much as he can and does not want to be anything but normal. Leo is shy, quiet, and likes to blend in with the crowd. As much as he tries to fight the feelings, Leo cannot help but love Stargirl. Leo is the only one in school, except for Dori Dilson that will talk to Stargirl. In most cases, people would be devasted if they are being shunned by everyone in school, but Stargirl does not seem to notice.

She continues to be nice to everyone and continues her not so ordinary behavior. Leo loves spending time with Stargirl and loves being her boyfriend, but he does not like the effects that come along with this role. Everyone in school, except for his friend Kevin, starts ignoring Leo as well because he is Stargirl's boyfriend. This shunning takes a huge toll on Leo unlike Stargirl.

Eventually, Leo breaks down and tells Stargirl that she does not act normal and that maybe she should try being normal. Stargirl goes along with this idea, for Leo's sake, but it does not win her fellow classmates back over. People still do not talk to Stargirl. She soon goes back to her own self again.
The book has twists and turns from this point that are shocking and disturbing when putting them in the context of how people in real life really are. Stargirl is definitely a fiction book. The characters are not based on anyone in particular, and the story itself is not true.

We collectively loved the book, Stargirl. This book celebrates nonconformity and lets children know that we do not have to go along with what everyone else does. A quote from the book, "Why can't you be normal," (Spinelli, 2000, p.67) shows how children, and many adults, think about people around them. People tend to want to blend in with everyone else and want to essentially be "normal". But what is normal? To Stargirl, she was normal. The things she chose to do were normal to her, and things that others did was not normal to her.

This book would be great to use in about a fifth grade classroom. Stargirl would show students why it is so important to be different and why we should all celebrate differences and uniqueness. This book deals with popularity and many types of pressures that schools and friend groups deal with. Leo debates whether or not he should hang out with Stargirl because everyone dislikes her. This is something that many and most students are going to deal with in their lives. This book opens the doors to these issues in a manner that is suitable for this age range.

It is very important for us as teachers to express how important diversity is and how important it is to be different. Stargirl is a great way to talk about this with upper elementary students and even early middle school students. The characters in this book are easy to connect to and relate to which will make talking about the book and understanding the book easier for the students.

One final quote to end on is a quote from the book which says, "And I think every once in a while someone comes along who is a little more primitive than the rest of us, a little closer to our beginnings, a little more in touch with the stuff we're made of" (Spinelli, 2000, p.177). This quote sums up Stargirl herself and the part of the meaning of the book itself. This quote says that there are certain people in the world that act more like people back in the past. These people cared for others, thought of others feelings before their own, and had compassion for the world around them. This quote is referring to Stargirl, and it says that she is just more like the people from the past than the rest of the school is. When explained in these terms, wouldn't everyone want to be compassionate for others around them? These characteristics do not sound bad to us. So why not try to be more like the primitive people before us?

Jerry Spinelli touches on high school issues: individualism vs confomity, popularity, the positives and negatives of teams, being supportive and being intrusive.

In reading about Stargirl and Leo, teens can see a model of group psychology. They can discuss it, relate it to their own lives and schools.

This is a good book for any teen reading club, literature class or general discussion group. It's good for parents as well, because it can help them relate to the social pressures their teens face every day.