Stargirl

I really liked this one, another kid’s book, more teen than young child.  This was Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  The story of a life in a high school in Arizona when all breaks loose when a new student whom was home schooled arrives one day.  Stargirl is one of those special books that tries to teach our awkward high school kids not to judge a person by what you see on the outside, especially if it is different from everyone else.  Well Stargirl (yes that is her name, well at least for part of the story!) is that special kid who loves life and really gives to others, at the expense of being popular and fitting the mold of what kids are “supposed” to be like, you know completely homogeneous within their group.  Stargirl doesn’t play that game and that makes it bad for the student who falls in love with her, Leo Borlock (the narrator and protagonist).  Leo tells this story of his youth looking back and maybe learning was it more important to conform or to be yourself?  This heart-warming story makes you think about how we live our life and how we GIVE to others.  We should all think about it.  Being different for difference sake is ok I guess, but believing in something and not realizing you are different because of it is something special.  It’s a relatively short read.  (Spoiler Alert) I wasn’t completely hip on the ending, thinking that Stargirl actually died, or better yet was accepted by others.  Sorry, I gave it away.  No, the ending doesn’t fit into the box I guess I was trying to have happen.  Nice lesson with this book.