Plus, there are some gorgeous descriptions of the Arizona desert. The story touches on meditation, enchanted places, and what happens when good deeds go unappreciated. There is so much to discuss in it, from the figurative language on every page to the meanness of the students to the bittersweet ending. Even though the characters are high schoolers, it’s an excellent book to teach in middle school, when the allure of the group mindset becomes so strong. It’s one that I read aloud many times during the years when I taught seventh grade. Later, when Leo finds himself entranced in the magical aura of Stargirl, he says, “She was bendable light: she shone around every corner of my day.” And when Stargirl brings the students out of their shell, he compares her to the rain, awakening dormant mud frogs from their slumber. To describe the conformity of the Mica High students, Spinelli compares them to rubber bands, quickly snapping back into place when stretched. The novel is full of metaphors that perfectly illustrate the characters’ emotional journeys. But Jerry Spinelli’s beautiful writing makes it so much more. It’s about figuring out who you are and who you want to be and how hard that is to do when you’re a teenager. In one way, Stargirl is a simple book about the power of individuality and the struggle for acceptance. Torn between his love for Stargirl and his desire to conform to the group, Leo walks the line between “her” and “them,” unable to choose until it might be too late. And yet, he also can’t stop wishing she were a little less odd herself. He can’t stop thinking about her, can’t stop wondering about the odd things she says and does, the tiny ways she incorporates herself into other people’s lives. Leo Borlock is drawn to Stargirl in a way that keeps him up at night. When Stargirl, who is nice to everyone, aims her kindness at Mica’s biggest rival, the students turn on her, and nothing Stargirl does can bring them back, not even acting “normal.”ĭespite the emotional roller coaster of Stargirl’s year at Mica-going from freak to most popular to shunned-there’s no doubt that she makes an impact on the students, and on one student in particular. As if that’s not weird enough, she calls herself “Stargirl” and seems to have no inhibitions.Īt first, the students at Mica High don’t know what to make of Stargirl, but soon she begins to win them over, inciting a revolution of individuality the school has never seen before. Then a new girl arrives, wearing wacky clothes, carrying a pet rat on her shoulder, and strumming a ukulele during lunch. For the most part, they dress the same, talk the same, and like and dislike the same things.

The students at Mica High School in the Arizona desert all seem to be cast from the same mold.

Love stargirl book summary