I just finished reading the 188 page book Stargirl by Jerry Spinneli. It was very interesting. It was my book club book and I am happy that I chose it. Even though it was confusing at some points, and that some people said The Outsiders was better, I still liked it. The book is set in rural and sleepy Mica, Arizona. Developed 20 years ago, Mica is home to shy and conforming citizens. The high schoolers are unenthusiastic about everything until one day. A new girl shows up. Star girl. From the very beginning, the students knew Stargirl was not like the rest. She wore beautiful dresses to school, but also carried a rat in her bag. She serenaded students with a ukulele in the lunch room, but was also part of the cheer squad. No one knew where to place her. So, they turned against her. Narrated by 17 year old Leo Borlock, find out about the troubles of being yourself in a world where everyone is shaped by society’s image. a part that I liked how the author wrote was on page 11. It really shows just how odd Stargirl is. She brings a pet rat to school.
¨One day a girl screamed in the hallway. She had seen a tiny brown face pop up from Stargirls sunflower canvas bag. It was her pet rat. It rode to school in the bag every day.¨
This shows that Stargirl is unique and cares for anything and everything. She wouldn’t care about what people thought of her. That is what makes her so special. Later in the book, she serenades the most popular girl in school, even when she told her not to sing to her. She did it anyways, because she is an individual that has her own way of thinking. I would rate this book an 8 out of 10. Towards the middle of the book, it started to drag out, which I thought was boring. That was during the shunning where no one talked to Stargirl. I think that was done on purpose, although I am not sure.

From,
Thomas