Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Bibliographic Information

Spinelli, J. (2002). Stargirl. New York, NY: Ember. ISBN: 037582233

Plot Summary

Stargirl Carraway is part saint, part gypsy, part flower girl, and 100% unique. She carries around a pet rat, plays the ukulele on people's birthdays, scatters small change for children, and generally looks for ways to help others. When Stargirl begins public school, her classmates are bewildered, then awe-struck, then vicious. Leo, her boyfriend, must ultimately choose between fitting in and dating this lovely but unusual girl.

Review

The book tackles the fickle winds of popularity in high school as Stargirl is mocked for her differences, then embraced. In the end, though, her goodness and inner beauty make her peers feel uncomfortable. They ostracize her, call her names, and eventually force her to move to a different city. Even when she tries to conform, her attempts to be normal end up breaking her and do little to ingratiate her with the crowd. Leo, the narrator, is also ridiculed for his association with her. Eventually he chooses to break up with her and is forced to live with his part in the ordeal and the decision he made to put public opinion over his feelings for Stargirl.