Stargirl

Title: Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Genre: Realistic Fiction

# of Pages: 186

Books Read: 8/50

I've always assumed this book was about a girl. And it is, but the main character is actually a boy named Leo. Leo tells Stargirl's story, beginning with the start of the school year, when she is the odd new girl, to a few months later when she is the most popular girl in school, to later when everyone hates her. When I first read the summary on the back, which summarizes the book as a love story, I was just a couple chapters in. I found myself thinking, "Love story? How could Leo and Stargirl ever end up together?" They do seem like an unlikely couple, yet by the middle/end of the book, I feel as glowy as I do watching a cute romantic movie.

I feel like this book would be great for a book club of mature middle schoolers. There's so much potential to discuss the lessons this book teaches! Themes of individualism, empathy, loyalty, friendship, and courage all lead up to a view into a typical high school through a very atypical lens.