Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is an inspiring story about being yourself. Stargirl Caraway is so different from her peers – she wears old fashioned and bright clothing, adorns her school desk with a flower and table cloth, and sings Happy Birthday to people at lunch while playing her ukelele.

Stargirl experiences a moment of popularity followed by a longer period of being shunned. The story tells of the fickleness of teen popularity and the pros and cons of changing your personality to fit in. Stargirl acts more “normal” to please her boyfriend – while she appears to be more like “everyone” she is miserable.

This story was a good reminder that happiness comes from being yourself, even if you like clothes or have hobbies that are not popular. Unfortunately, the temptation to try to be like other people doesn’t disappear with age – I still catch myself wanting to be like someone else. There is a fine line between wanting to be a better me and wanting to be like someone else entirely.

So a great read, overall. This story has interesting and relateable characters and a message that we all need to hear.

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Filed under: Making Good

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