Stargirl

__Stargirl __


 * Author ** Jerry Spinelli


 * Publisher ** Scholastic Inc.


 * Published **August 8th 2000


 * Pages ** 186


 * ISBN **: 0-679-88637-0


 * Reading Level ** 6.1(Grade 6, October)


 * Language: **English


 * Price (Barnes and Noble): **<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;"> $6.99


 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Summary **

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">This novel is about Stargirl and her unique interaction with the population of Mica High School. She first comes to the new school and is a fascination by the entire school. But the same personality that allowed the citizens to fall in love with her also allowed for her isolation. She becomes Susan and tries to change herself so she can stay in the town with Leo. She does not see that solving any of her problems so she decides that she is going to just going back to being herself. Leo does not like that and gives up an opportunity to go to the dance with her. She goes solo, and regains her popularity, yet disappears leaving nothing but her mark on Mica.


 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Book Review **

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">I really did enjoy this book, and it has been my favorite book since I was a child. I enjoy how he allows Stargirl’s out of this world personality to come to life. I also enjoy how they show her trying to conform and her attempt to fit in, even though it did not work. Stargirl shows readers that it is okay to be different and okay not to have people approve of everything you do. I believe that this is a great lesson to teach all children, especially those in the middle school level. This novel is very relevant to the world today and will allow us to teach children about bullying and kindness in our world.


 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">About the Author **

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Jerry Spinelli was actually a failed adult writer, and after four books that were declined from adult publishers he tried to write a book for children, and that is how he became a children’s writer. He tends to write a lot about his life growing up in Pennsylvania he once said “…the first 15 years of my life were like one big research project.” He describes his mind as a “library” where he does his research on real life activities rather than going to the library to do actual research. I enjoy this because he is able to tap into his real life experiences as he writes, which allows us to transport to the specific locations that he portrays in the books.


 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Literary Analysis **

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Jerry Spinelli uses a prevalent theme throughout his novel. He speaks about how we should never change who we are to please others. He addresses this by having Stargirl be different when she comes to Mica high and everyone is interested in here, then her differences allow her to lose the friends that she has gained. Leo also has to make an important decision whether to choose who he loves or the life he has lived. Spinelli has him say “I had never realized how much I needed the attention of others to confirm my own presence.” This shows how he didn’t understand how he has conformed to his society and although he loves Stargirl he wants her to conform to him so that she and their relationship can be accepted by his world.