From the Publisher
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of
color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of "Stargirl,
Stargirl." She captures Leo Borlock's heart with just one smile.
She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The
students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything
that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with
love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her:
normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist
Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of
popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Jacket
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of
color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of "Stargirl,
Stargirl." She captures Leo Borlock''s heart with just one smile.
She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The
students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything
that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with
love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her:
normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist
Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of
popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
"From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1941, Jerry Spinelli attended Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. Students, teachers and librarians from all over the world enjoy Spinelli's funny and true-to-life books. Spinelli was an editor with Chilton from 1966 to 1989. He launched his career in children's literature with Space Station Seventh Grade in 1982, followed by Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush? in 1984. In 1991, Spinelli won the Newbery Award and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Maniac Magee (1990). He followed this success with such engaging titles as Fourth Grade Rats (1991), Do the Funky Pickle (1992), Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? (1992), and Picklemania (1993), among others. In 1998, his book Wringer was named a Newbery Honor book. With over 19 published books to his credit, Spinelli finds writing comes easiest when he's dressed comfortably in blue jeans, a flannel shirt and moccasins. Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, have seven children and 11 grandchildren.
Bookclub Guide
1. As the saying goes, "love is blind." How is this truly the
case with Leo and Stargirl? Looking back, how can you tell that Leo
was falling for her? And does he stay in love with her, even after
she moves away?
2. Professor Archie Brubaker is the voice of reason throughout
the novel. Archie has many thoughtful insights into the personality
of Stargirl, and at one point says about her: "You'll know her more
by your questions than by her answers. Keep looking at her long
enough. One day you might see someone you know." Now that you've
finished the novel, what do you think Archie means by this
statement?
3. While Stargirl is a guest on "Hot Seat," Kevin asks her why
she changed her name. Do you accept her reason why she did this?
How is "Stargirl" an ideal name for her? Think about the
possibility of changing your name several times. Do you think your
name is an integral part of who you are, or can you imagine
yourself with another one?
4. In the beginning, Hillari Kimble seems to be the only person
who openly dislikes Stargirl. But then others begin to feel the
same way as Hillari. Do you think that groups of people need a
leader, like Hillari Kimble, to turn opinions against another
person?
5. Do you, as a reader, like Stargirl? If you were a student at
Mica High, would you reach out to her like Dori Dilson, or reject
her like Hillari Kimble? Do you think the students of Mica High are
ultimately too harsh on Stargirl?
6. Popularity, fitting in, and "sameness" are all key themes in
Stargirl. Find places in the novel that reinforce these themes and
discuss. Do you think Stargirl ever wanted to be popular? How might
she define popularity?
7. 1.After Stargirl changes back to "Susan," Leo says "she look
magnificently, wonderfully, gloriously ordinary. She looked just
like a hundred other girls at Mica High…. I had never been so happy
and proud in my whole life." How did you feel when you read this
part of the novel?
8. Author Jerry Spinelli plays two major events in this novel
off of each other: the basketball championships and the oratorical
contest. After Stargirl wins the oratorical contest, Leo says that
"the cheering is as wild as that of the crowd at a championship
basketball game." Stargirl is the focus at both events but in very
different ways. How is she rejected at one and accepted at the
other? And how does this acceptance ultimately lead to
rejection?
9. The Ocotillo Ball at the end of the novel represents a
turning point. Do you think Stargirl made a deliberate attempt to
say good-bye at the ball? What do you make of the students'
behavior at the ball, and what does this tell you about the student
body of Mica High as a whole?
10. Archie says about Stargirl, "Star people are rare. You'll be
lucky to meet another." Do you think Leo was grown-up enough for
his relationship with Stargirl? How about the students of Mica
High? Will Leo ever figure Stargirl out?
11. What is the irony at the end of Stargirl? Is Stargirl
popular after all? What happens to the "popular" kids in the
story-do they stay popular?
About the Book
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of
color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of "Stargirl,
Stargirl." She captures Leo Borlock's heart with just one smile.
She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The
students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything
that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with
love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her:
normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist
Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of
popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
"From the Hardcover edition."
