Stargirl (ISBN 0679886370)

Amazon.com Review:
"She was homeschooling gone amok." "She was an alien." "Her parents were circus acrobats." These are only a few of the theories concocted to explain Stargirl Caraway, a new 10th grader at Arizona's Mica Area High School who wears pioneer dresses and kimonos to school, strums a ukulele in the cafeteria, laughs when there are no jokes, and dances when there is no music. The whole school, not exactly a "hotbed of nonconformity," is stunned by her, including our 16-year-old narrator Leo Borlock: "She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl." In time, incredulity gives way to out-and-out adoration as the student body finds itself helpless to resist Stargirl's wide-eyed charm, pure-spirited friendliness, and penchant for celebrating the achievements of others. In the ultimate high school symbol of acceptance, she is even recruited as a cheerleader. Popularity, of course, is a fragile and fleeting state, and bit by bit, Mica sours on their new idol. Why is Stargirl showing up at the funerals of strangers? Worse, why does she cheer for the opposing basketball teams? The growing hostility comes to a head when she is verbally flogged by resentful students on Leo's televised Hot Seat show in an episode that is too terrible to air. While the playful, chin-held-high Stargirl seems impervious to the shunning that ensues, Leo, who is in the throes of first love (and therefore scornfully deemed "Starboy"), is not made of such strong stuff: "I became angry. I resented having to choose. I refused to choose. I imagined my life without her and without them, and I didn't like it either way." Jerry Spinelli, author of Newbery Medalist Maniac Magee, Newbery Honor Book Wringer, and many other excellent books for teens, elegantly and accurately captures the collective, not-always-pretty emotions of a high school microcosm in which individuality is pitted against conformity. Spinelli's Stargirl is a supernatural teen character--absolutely egoless, altruistic, in touch with life's primitive rhythms, meditative, untouched by popular culture, and supremely self-confident. It is the sensitive Leo whom readers will relate to as he grapples with who she is, who he is, who they are together as Stargirl and Starboy, and indeed, what it means to be a human being on a planet that is rich with wonders. (Ages 10 to 14) --Karin Snelson

chloe. i just started:
i am just getting started on the book. i like it so far.it seems very interesting.she carries a ukelele to school and the guy wannaput her ontheir show called something like "hotspot" im sorry if thats wrong but they think that she is like undercover or somthing. i havea kindle so im commenting on this using it.i recomend it toreaders and musicians. im gonna go readit so see ya andyes i love the book so far

What emotions does Stargirl feel?:
There's no doubt that I would have desired to have a friend in Stargirl, to have her sing to me on my birthday as she strummed her ukele. We never really meet her though. We never directly know her joys, her disappointments. We are only allowed to assume what she feels when she leads the bunny hop, when she is slapped afterwards. And Leo is so unsatisfying because he doesn't really do anything. He merely allows Stargirl to flirt with him while he is embarrased about it.

STARGIRL:
My sister read this book and told me to read it. she told me it was good but when i read it i did not like it. the STARGIRL is werid and the whole book for me is unrealistic and not worth the time to read!

Fantastic:
This is an amazing book I love it What an awsome thing to have your nick name be sater girl.Great book i recomand it

Beautiful, just beautiful!:
Gods, what a beautiful story! Words cannot even express how wonderful I thought this book was. I really wish I had of read it when I was younger, but maybe I wouldn't have had the full appreciation that I do now (at 21 years of age). One thing I really got from this book is the knowledge that as a society we just aren't ready for something different. Even if that thing is kind and beautiful and wise - society is just too wrapped up in outward appearences, and the need to be popular and well-liked, which is so sad. Excellent book. Excellent themes. Excellent messages. I would give this book to anyone of any age to read.