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Stargirl (Readers Circle)

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Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$6.99~~
Buy Used: $1.84
You Save: $5.15 (74%)

New (48) Used (27) from $1.84

Media: Mass Market Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7

ISBN: 0440416779
EAN: 9780440416777
ASIN: 0440416779

Publication Date: May 11, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Used paperback in good condition. May show some signs of use or wear.

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Editorial Reviews:

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."p 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 IHot Seat/I 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."p Jerry Spinelli, author of Newbery Medalist IManiac Magee/I, Newbery Honor Book IWringer/I, 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) I--Karin Snelson/I

Product Description
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of #8220;Stargirl, Stargirl.#8221; She captures Leo Borlock#8217;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. brbrThen 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.brbrbriFrom the Hardcover edition./i

Customer Reviews: Read 95 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

chloe. i just started November 5, 2008
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 #34;hotspot#34; 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

2 out of 5 stars

STARGIRL November 2, 2008
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!

5 out of 5 stars

Stargirl September 20, 2008
The characters in this wonderful story jump out of the book, bypass your brain and go straight to your heart. Leo, the narrator feels very much like every high school student must feel, and it is portrayed perfectly in the text. Every single experience he has rings true, from his good moments to the ones where, if he were standing before me I would have punched him square in the mouth.br /The title character Stargirl Caraway is an amazing bouncing creative individual in a mass of conforming teenagers. She wears outrageous outfits but not because they are revealing or shocking, because they hold more personality than all of the clothing in the school could dream of. She takes the school by storm, but after the storm passes there is trouble.br /br /http://dailylitmajor.blogspot.com/2008/08/stargirl-by-jerry-spinelli.html

5 out of 5 stars

a heartwarming classic September 18, 2008
A must read!!! Best book I've ever read. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a love story.

5 out of 5 stars

Is There Anything Else Kids Really Need to Learn? September 11, 2008
I'm mostly weighing in with stars in order to counter the 1 star folks, who appear to have completely missed the point. Others have covered the book well already. It is a great young adult book. If kids could just clue in to being brave enough to live their lives without being scared of what their peers say, and to live those lives in ways that bless others, the world would be so much better. That's what Stargirl is about. Maybe as a suggestion, this book will prompt a few people in that direction. Regardless, it's good to read.

Copyright 2007 White Hat Communications.
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