StarGirl by Jerry Spinelli

Leo Borlock is your everyday average high schooler.  He goes to his bland school that has no school spirit and simply takes part in the mundane occurances of teenage life.  His only source of fun comes from a high school TV show produced and created by himself and his friend Kevin called the Hot Seat where a panel asks everyday students questions.  Leo is orginial from Pennsylvania but moved to Arizona where he started a collection of porcupine neck ties.  However, he only had one in his collection.  Yet, on his birthday, he received another.  One day a mysterious girl shows up to school.  Her name is StarGirl, or at least that what she calls herself.  She dresses oddly, strums a ukulele while singing happy birthday to everyday and carries around her pet rat, Cinnamon.  She is a non-conformist in every way.  She cheers for opposing teams, dances in the rain, and does her best to be nice and kind to everyone.  She is a wonder (and odd) and Leo is falling in love with her.  The school also notices Stargirl's enthusasium and asks her to join the cheerleading squad.  At first it is great.  However, when she helps an opposing team member when he becomes injuried, she becomes the enemy of the school.  At first StarGirl and Leo don't notice.  But they soon see that they are being ignored and StarGirl decides to change her odd ways for Leo.  She attempts to fit in everyway possible.  She even wins a state speaking competition, however, to no avail because the school treats her the same way.  She and Leo dissolve their relationship.  At the end, StarGirl goes to prom alone and is confronted by the school's "popular" girl.  But when StarGirl does not retailate, the school is in shock.  She leaves and that is the last they hear from her.  Leo reaccounts his life since then (a total of 15 years).  And one day on his birthday, he received a porupine tie and knew that StarGirl was never really out of his life. 

This book is an amazing and well written book!  The story can at first start off dull but soon develops into a story to see what StarGirl will do next, what will happen next with her and Leo and ultimately life after StarGirl.  What was so shocking about the book was the fact that she was so nice and sweet and truly cared about everyone, yet people resented her for it.  She took the time to put people ahead of herself, yet was critized for it in the end, which seems horrible but unfortunately, a true statement of how real life actually goes.  It was also interesting to see how much Leo wanted to be apart of the group, yet did not want to give up StarGirl.  This was a great conflict, but at times the reader may want to simply yell at him to "OPEN YOUR EYES!  SHE'S WAY BETTER THAN THEM!"  Yet, with teenagers, all they really want or need is to be accepted.  This is what made her so unique.  She didn't care about what others thought as long as she made one person feel better.  It was also interesting to see Leo as an adult reflect on what happened.  He knew that he made a mistake by letting her go, but he also knew that he would always love her.  This book is truly inspiring to help people realize that they need to get beyond themselves in order to be there for others.