Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

A celebration of nonconformity; a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love. Ages 12+

Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body.

But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her.

In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love

This is a cute book. My teenage self devoured it, and I find myself devouring it again in my 20s. I remember being a middle-school/high-school girl, always trying to subtly embody Stargirl - being happy, wearing whatever tf I wanted, living every day to the best of my ability. I think this is truly a positive (if not sometimes cheesy) book that every kiddo should read - regardless of gender. It can teach us all a little something about letting go and living life.

I went to school with a girl like Stargirl. She transferred to us in junior high and she was different. Alarmingly different. She held seances. Her hair was this wild brillo pad that stuck straight out in all directions. She tried to levitate herself at recess. She had funny moles. She was a budding artist who drew on any surface that would not be deemed vandalism.

She was completely ostracized. Like the students at Mica, we did not know what to do with her. Unlike the students at Mica, there was no honeymoon period. Just hate. Here we were, little Catholic conformists with our plaid uniforms and this complete oddball had been thrust into our midst. I have never before or since seen children be so mean. To be associated with her was anathema. I haven't thought about her in years, but now I wonder, what were her parents thinking? Why send your child who desperately wants/needs to be different, to be herself- into this hotbed of sameness. She even joined my scout troop. Another uniform to wear. Unlike Stargirl (spoilers I guess) she survived the year. She actually stayed with us until high school. Unlike Leo, I never got the chance to see her jar of stones. I never allowed myself to be friends with her. I don't know how unhappy or happy she was with her lot. She must have the toughest skin or maybe she didn't care. I hope she's doing well, wherever she is today. I know it's a stretch, but I hope high school was better for her.

Reading this book was in a way very cathartic. I have reservations about its plausibility, but that's honestly a good thing. If some junior high student reads this book and decides to be a little left of the center, or better still, if some jerky junior student reads this book and decides to be a little nicer to the kids who take a chance on standing out, it's worth its weight in gold.

Cute, if a bit far-fetched and totally outdated. I honestly think kids today wouldn't understand what's so weird about Stargirl, and this makes the book lose a lot of its original punch. The tone was more fitting for middle grade, so I kept having to remind myself the characters were in high school instead of middle school. Stargirl is absolutely the OG manic pixie dream girl, but whether that's a bad thing will be a personal preference.