This month we will profile Jerry Spinelli, one of our favorite children's writers.
Jerry Spinelli
is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Maniac Magee, winner of the Newbery Medal; Wringer, a Newbery Honor Book; Crash; and Knots in My Yo-Yo String, his autobiography. He grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where he once dreamed of becoming a major league baseball player. All of this changed at age 16, when his poem about a football game was published in the local newspaper. From then on, he wanted to become a writer.
Jerry's first book for children was published when he was 41 years old. He still lives in Pennsylvania with his "Stargirl," his wife, Eileen Spinelli, who is
also an author of children's books.
Click here for the Reader's Guide for my current "favorite" new book, "Stargirl"
Book Review on Stargirl - by Patti Wall
This past school year I read an interesting book in Mrs. Morris’ fifth grade class at Fishweir Elementary. It’s a story by Jerry Spinelli called "Stargirl," and it ranks as one of my top ten books that I highly recommend to kids (and parents). Stargirl is a book about learning to be yourself, maybe even more about discovering who you are and enjoying it, embracing it. It’s also about accepting others–no matter how silly or goofy, or different or strange they may be. It’s a story about non-conformity, tolerance and understanding. It’s about friendship and even a bit about love.
I read this book two years ago and could immediately identify with the main character in the story, a young non-conformist who calls herself, "Stargirl." In high school I was a bit of a non-conformist, though not as extreme as Stargirl. The story begins with a girl who had been homeschooled for many years and who had just decided to attend public high school. The school is filled with typical run-of-the-mill, boring, "everyone-is-the-same" type of kids. No ambition or vision, nothing or no one stands out as an individual. Everyone blends in like desert chameleons, and no dares to bring a challenge to this sleepy-eyed, slow-pokey little school. Make way for the dramatic entrance of "Stargirl." The kids in the school are so taken back with her arrival, that they at first think she’s a school plant, designed to encourage school spirit. Others think she’s an alien. Stargirl charges in like a flash, sashaying through hallways in her long grannie-styled skirts and often wears other outlandish costumes. She brings a ukelele to school and sings Happy Birthday to unsuspecting students in the cafeteria. She dances in the rain, cheers for both sides at football games, keeps a pet rat in her knapsack and creates utter chaos and disarray for the entire student body, who are, quite honestly, clueless as to how this disruptive creature will fit into their status-quo lifestyle.
The other main character is Leo Borlock. He is a producer of a student-produced program called "Hot Seat." His best friend, the host of the program, wants Leo to get Stargirl on the show, especially since she has become such an attention-getting, major attraction to the school. Leo reluctantly begins a friendship with Stargirl, but he, too, is unsure of what to make of her. She is so utterly different from everyone, and yet there is something about her that is compelling–that magnetically, almost magically draws people to her. Stargirl is in many ways more "real" than her peers. From deep within the recesses of their souls, people admire her boldness, her pizzaz. Many secretly wish they had her nerve, her confidence to be themselves, although sadly, many of them are lost and vacant and have no idea of how to begin--to become an individual.
Stargirl quickly accelerates from being the most bizarre person they’ve ever encountered, to the most popular person in the school. People begin to dress and act like her, the pet store in town has sold out of rats, and kids begin to flirt with the notion of being different. The story takes on some interesting twists and turns, and through a series of events, Stargirl’s popularity soon plummets. She has only two friends, one of whom is Leo, and he is faced with a cross-roads decision. Does he make the choice to go back to the only life he has ever known, albeit boring and lifeless as the stifling desert dust, or–does he choose to be Stargirl’s friend at any cost and continue to embark on a journey that is exhilarating, challenging and thought-provoking? You will need to read the book to find the answer. (or ask the kids in Mrs. Morris’ class as we read along each week. The class has decided to honor Stargirl’s individuality by wearing something strange and different on "Wacky Wednesdays." It’s been fun to see just how creative these kids can get!)
I chose this book to read to Mrs. Morris’ class because I know these kids are preparing to enter junior high next year. I wanted to challenge them to learn several things: 1) to get to know themselves better; 2) to like who they are; 3) to accept others who may be different from them; and 4) to not be afraid to be different, even if it goes against the tide of popular opinion. Junior high is a difficult time for many kids as they begin the transition into young adult-hood, and peer pressure is something that most kids will have to contend with at some level throughout their years in school. I want kids to have a glimpse of a character who was so thoroughly comfortable in her skin that virtually nothing or no one could deter her from being herself.
I think this would be a wonderful book for parents to read with their children, and I could imagine some interesting discussions that could ensue. This book is available at our bookstore, and if we run out of copies, we will be glad to order it for you. As a special incentive, anyone who comes to the store and say you are from Fishweir, you will get a 10% discount on the book! There is a also free reader’s guide on the internet (see the above link) that parents and/or teachers may wish to use to help develop some provocative discussion questions.
Happy Star-gazing!
Patti Wall
