Review Detail

Every time I read a book by Jerry Spinelli I am reminded of why I read at all. He is simply one of the best authors out there. No matter the topic (in my experience), he makes reading worthwhile and enjoyable. Jerry Spinelli is a gift to readers.

Stargirl, first published in 2000, is now available in paperback. It has received a lot of recognition: ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, A Parent's Choice Gold Award Winner, and A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year, among others. However, the most important stamp of approval is from the readers. I have yet to meet someone who did not like this book.

Stargirl is one of the main characters of the book. We meet her through the eyes of Leo Borlock, who falls in love with her. She is the kind of person that many of us would like to be, but most of us are too scared to be. She is different from her classmates and from Leo in a way that they can't even classify.

At first, her differences captivate them. But soon, they turn on her. Like most high school students (not to mention adults), they aren't ready for what Stargirl represents.

Stargirl loves Leo and she tries to please him by becoming "normal." For the others at school, her attempts are too little too late. For the reader, they are enough to make you cry.

Stargirl is a tense and desperate tale. It is also enlightening, entertaining, and hopeful. I can only hope that someday we will all be a little more like Stargirl and a lot less likely to judge those like her.