Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Module 4/SLIS 5420/June 28 - July 3

Bibliography

Spinelli, Jerry. 2000. Stargirl. New York: Dell Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 0-440-41677-9

Summary

Stargirl throws the whole school for a loop when she comes out of her home-schooled cocoon and joins the public school world. When she isn't playing the ukulele and singing at lunch, she is bouncing and cheering for both teams during the school football and basketball games. At first, she's a hit - someone new and exciting, but soon the school turns against her and it's up to the shy and cautious Leo to help Stargirl succeed in a world of normal.

My Impressions

I keep flipping back and forth with this book. I did like it - and I do think that the message was a great one, but much of the time that I read it, I felt that the story, especially Stargirl's character and the student body at large, was contrived. I think Spinelli went a bit too far trying to make Stargirl over-the-top weird and ended up with an in-your-face version of a hippie, when he meant to create a believable girl. The only character that I felt was developed well was Leo. He is timid, cautious, genuine and scared. Showing his transformation and the issues he faces while connected to Stargirl were the most real sentiments in the entire book - which, alone, I think make it worth reading.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: "Part fairy godmother, part outcast, part dream-come-true, the star of Spinelli's novel shares many of the mythical qualities as the protagonist of his Maniac Magee. Spinelli poses searching questions about loyalty to one's friends and oneself and leaves readers to form their own answers, said PW in our Best Books citation." Ages 12-up.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

School Library Journal: Grade 6-10-"High school is a time of great conformity, when being just like everybody else is of paramount importance. So it is no surprise that Stargirl Caraway causes such excitement and confusion when she arrives at Mica High in Arizona. Initially, everyone is charmed by her unconventional behavior- she wears unusual clothing, she serenades the lunchroom with her ukulele, she practices random acts of kindness, she is cheerleader extraordinaire in a place with no school spirit. Naturally, this cannot last and eventually her individuality is reviled. The story is told by Leo, who falls in love with Stargirl's zany originality, but who then finds himself unable to let go of the need to be conventional. Spinelli's use of a narrator allows readers the distance necessary to appreciate Stargirl's eccentricity and Leo's need to belong to the group, without removing them from the immediacy of the story. That makes the ending all the more disappointing-to discover that Leo is looking back imposes an unnecessary adult perspective on what happened in high school. The prose lapses into occasionally unfortunate flowery flights, but this will not bother those readers-girls especially-who will understand how it feels to not quite fit the mold and who attempt to exult in their differences."
Sharon Grover, Arlington County Department of Libraries, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Suggested Library Use

Stargirl would be perfect for a summer reading book club - it's short and has a strong message that will give students something to think about while outside of the school environment.