Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli's "Stargirl" is a tale of an eccentric girl who had been home schooled up to the point of her sophomore year of high school, and the boy who eventually falls in love with her. Stargirl Caraway, who's given name is Susan, marches to the beat of her own drum; her own band, rather. At first, some of the students, although surprised, welcome Stargirl. However, her rise to popularity is followed by a "shunning" from the entire school population, except for a few close friends. Leo Borlock, the narrator and Stargirl's love interest, must decide which means more to him, Stargirl's affection, or the affection of his fellow student body.
The story takes place in the desert town of Mica, a made-up town in Arizona. Leo is a student at Mica High School when Stargirl first starts school there. Stargirl is an off-the-wall character who serenades strangers with a Happy Birthday song and a ukulele solo, leaves little surprises on her classmates' desks on holidays, and carries around a pet rat and a large painting of a sunflower at all times. Stargirl's quirks pushed the Mica students into a revolution. Some kids mimicked her, some became self-defined, game attendance went up, as did school spirit, all thanks to her. Unfortunately, some things, such as cheering for the other team when they scored a goal in a basketball game, or holding one of the other team member's head while he was injured, pushed the Mica High students against the very person who caused their team spirit in the first place.
This makes it difficult for Leo to love Stargirl and to allow himself to be with her. Suddenly, he snaps back into reality and realizes that no one talks to him or looks at him anymore; except for his best friend Kevin. Both Leo and Stargirl have been shunned from the rest of the student body. Leo is forced to choose between Stargirl and the schoolmates he's known for his entire life. He convinces Stargirl to conform to the cookie cutter, high school type. However, when... [continues]

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