Stargirl Book Review

Short Introduction to Stargirl

Stargirl Caraway has been home schooled her whole life, has a pet rat, wears strange dresses, and plays the ukulele. This is the first time Stargirl is going to a real school and her classmates don’t know what to think of her.

Conflict One

Stargirl is treated like an outsider by the students at her high school. The main person who made this conflict occur was Hillari Kimble. She spread bad things to other people about  Stargirl. She says Stargirl is a fake that the principal has put in just to spread school spirit. There is also a school show called the “Hot Seat.” By what Hillari says, one of the boys who runs “Hot Seat” is convinced to put Stargirl on it and expose her as a fake just for high ratings. The other boy, Leo Borlock becomes a main part of Stargirl’s life in the story. What happens in this conflict is that people ignore Stargirl, don’t talk to her, avoid her and say mean things behind her back. This conflict occurs in Mica Area High School which is the school Stargirl goes to. It occurs any time Stargirl is at school. The reason this issue is there is because Stargirl is accused of making the Electrons, the Mica Area High school basketball team lose. She is accused because she cheers for both teams not just Mica High.

This quote is in Leo’s perspective after he begins to hang out in school with Stargirl.

“And then one day I began to discover that we were more alone than I had dreamed. It was a Thursday. Normally on that day, after third period, Stargirl and I would pass each other on the second floor around the teacher's lounge. We would smile and say hi and continue on our way to our separate classes. On this day, impulsively, I fell in alongside her. How about an escort? I said. She grinned slyly. Anybody in mind? We touched little fingers and walked on. Her next class was on the first floor, so we went down the nearest stairway. We were walking side by side. That’s when I noticed. No one spoke to us. No one nodded to us. No one smiled at us. No one looked at us. A crowded stairway, and no shoulder, no sleeve brushed us. Students climbing the steps veered to the railing or wall. Except for Stargirl jabbering in my ear, the usual raucous chatter was absent. Mostly what I noticed were the eyes. Faces turned up from the steps below, but the eyes never connected with us. They went right on through us as if they were gamma rays. Or they nipped our ears and rattled off among the walls and other eyes. I had an urge to look down at myself, to make sure I was there.” (part of page 95 & 96)

Conflict Two

The students at Mica High only look at what is different about Stargirl and what they didn’t like; rather that looking at what is the same about Stargirl and what they did like. Practically everyone at Mica High was involved; other than Leo Borlock. What happened in this conflict is that people started to ignore the good stuff Stargirl did; such as pass out goodies to everyone on holidays and cheer for people who were doing something good. They started to look at the weird stuff about her; such as wearing strange dresses, having a pet rat, and playing the ukulele. This conflict occurred at Mica Area High School and at every time Stargirl was at school. The reason this conflict happened was because after it was accused that Stargirl made the basketball team lose, people started to think Stargirl was bad luck everywhere and to prove it, only pointed out the bad stuff about her.

This quote happens after Stargirl wins the State Finals for the Oratorical Contest

“She won. As she had said she would. The silver plate they gave her twinkled like a starburst in a galaxy of flashing cameras. Two TV crews washed her in lights and interviewed her backstage. Strangers mobbed her, citizens of Phoenix gushing, telling her they had been coming to the contest for years and had never heard anything like it. Schoolchildren thrust programs in her face for autographs. Every parent wanted her for a daughter, every teacher for a student. She was so happy, she was so proud. She yelped and cried when she saw us. She hugged each of us in turn, and I thought she would squeeze the breath out of me.” (page 157)

This quote happens after Stargirl comes back to Mica High after winning the Oratorical Contest

“We swung around back to the parking lot and-yes-there was a car, and another car. And people, three of them, shading their eyes in the sun, watching us. Two of them were teachers. The other was a student, Dori Dilson. She stood apart from the teachers, alone in the black shimmering sea of asphalt. As we approached, she held up a sign, a huge cardboard sign bigger than a basketball backboard. She set the sign on edge and propped it up, erasing herself. The red painted letters said: WAY TO GO, SUSAN WE’RE PROUD OF YOU. The car stopped in front of it. All that was left to see of Dori Dilson were two sets of fingers holding the sides of the sign. We were close enough now to see that the sign was trembling, and I knew that behind it Dori was crying. There was no confetti, no kazoos. Nothing cheered, not even a mts of fingers holding the sides of the sign. We were close enough now to see that the sign was trembling, and I knew that behind it Dori was crying. There was no confetti, no kazoos. Nothing cheered, not even a mockingbird.” (part of page 159 & 160)

Conflict Three

Stargirl is encouraged to become normal so other people like her; even though she wants to stay herself. Leo actually makes this conflict occur because he gives Stargirl the idea to change herself so she can become popular. The only other friend of Stargirl’s; Dori Dilson, tells Stargirl not to change herself. What happens is that Stargirl changes back to her real name; Susan, stops bringing her rat to school, wears makeup and doesn’t wear weird dresses. This conflict once again occurred at Mica Area High School and when Stargirl changed herself to become normal. This occurs because Leo tells Stargirl if she wants anyone to like her, she had to become normal.

This quote happens when Leo tells Stargirl to become normal

“Forced to face her, forced to talk, I felt my gumption rising. Something’s gotta change, I said. That’s all I know. You mean like change clothes? Or change a tire? Should I change a tire on my bike? Would that do it? You’re not funny. You know what I mean.” (the end of page 133)

    This quote happens when Stargirl changes herself to become normal

“Coming out of the lunchroom, I heard laughter behind me. And then a voice, Stargirl’s: What do you have to do to get somebody’s attention around here? I turned, but it wasn’t her. The girl standing, grinning in front of me wore jeans and sandals, had burnt-red nails and lipstick, painted eyes, finger rings, toe rings, hoop earrings I could put my hand through, hair… I gawked as students swarmed past. She made a clownish grin. She was beginning to look vaguely familiar. Tentatively I whispered, Stargirl? She batted her chocolaty eyelashes. Sargirl? What kind of name is that? My name is Susan. And just like that, Stargirl was gone, replaced by Susan. Susan Julia Caraway. The girl she might have been all along.” (part of page 139)

Lesson Learned from this book

The lesson I took away from Stargirl is dare to be different. I got this from Stargirl doing all these strange things, such as playing the ukulele, carrying a pet rat and singing birthday songs to people she didn’t know.

B

Writing Girl(WG)

Stargirl cover page