Imagine the weirdest person you can think of, but also the kindest. How would you treat her if you were constantly judged by your peers? If she was the lone wolf of being herself and everyone thought she was crazy, would you be nice to her? In the book Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli really asks the question, "Are you being you?" According to Goodreads.com and Randomhouse.com, Spinelli gets a lot of his inspiration from his own life experiences and that of his kids. The book makes readers think about our actions towards people, how we treat them, and what we can do to be more like the kind of person that Stargirl is in the book.

Stargirl is about a girl who moves to the fictional town of Mica, Arizona and goes to Mica High. Stargirl is odd, strange and a free-to-be-herself type of person, and the square students of Mica don't quite know what to think of her. Since the setting is in the late 70s, Stargirl wears some interesting clothes, so interesting even the students of Mica High are astounded by her fashion choices. Over the course of the book the students go through phases of loving and hating Stargirl. One particular student named Leo Borlock falls in love with Stargirl and tries to change her to "fit in.” Leo has a cruel awakening when he tries to change her, and she just goes back to the same old Stargirl.

  Although the book is mainly about Stargirl and Leo, and how Stargirl changes Leo, and how he changes her, and how they eventually fall in love, they both have an adult friend Archie, who is quite quirky himself, giving them advice and knowledge. Stargirl and Leo become "boyfriend girlfriend" and they are so caught up in their little love fest that they don't even realize the apparent "shunning" happening after everyone starts hating Stargirl. Stargirl either doesn't notice or doesn't care about the "shunning.” On the other hand, Leo starts noticing and tries to change Stargirl... this doesn't work.

  Additionally, the book is kind of mysterious and very Stargirl-ish. Likewise, Stargirl herself is very mysterious and leaves you wanting more, and the narrator is one of the reasons why. I love how Stargirl is written through Leo's perspective, and we get to see the story through the eyes of a high school boy who is in love with the girl who is "different" from everyone else. It leaves us asking the question: "How would I react to this situation?" This is a good question for anyone to ask. I think young adults would like this book... (so would adults). Anyone who has felt pressure from their peers in anyway could relate. Stargirl is humorous--yet relatable in every way.

  Finally, I thought that Stargirl is very entertaining; you laugh at Leo's closed mindedness and Stargirl's quirky personality. Also the book teaches us to love everyone and be nice! I loved this book. I think it brings a spectacular message and is quite amusing. Stargirl also makes us think about our actions and our behaviors around others. Lastly, I would totally recommend this book I think anyone who likes to laugh and learn at the same time should read this. Stargirl is a must read for anyone who has felt the pressure of the cliches of our world or has been the odd-man-out.