Plot Summary - Stargirl is new in town. Everyone at this school in Arizona is concerned with popularity and looks. Stargirl come in not caring what people think. She's been homeschooled most of her life. She makes an impact on the student body who in the beginning shunned her but grew to love her.
Personal Reaction - This is a good book. It can make an impact in a junior high setting where looks and popularity are what is important.
Memorable Literary Element - There is a lot of conflict in Stargirl. The main conflict is between Hillari Kimble and Stargirl Caraway. Hillari doesn't like that Stargirl is different, she ruled the school before Stargirl came into town. Hillari wants rid of Stargirl.
Review - School Library Journal Jerry Spinelli's novel, set in small-town Mica, Arizona, is a tender and poignant tale of adolescent relationships. The dynamics between the central characters, Stargirl and Leo, against the backdrop of petty, but entrenched cliques, gives a small window into the painful growth of teenagers and preteens. While the story is compelling, the writing styles don't translate easily to the audio format. Most of the text is narrative, as seen through the eyes of an older Leo, looking back nostalgically on his time spent with Stargirl. Juxtaposed among these memories are "real time" vignettes with dialogue between the assortment of characters. This interplay of time sequences with writing styles demands much of readers/listeners. There are scenes where text is preferable, such as the "Hot Seat" session where Stargirl is pantomiming behind Leo's back. Although narrator John Ritter does an admirable job, it lacks the vitality that Stargirl brings to the story, and the tenderness of Leo's memory. During the dialogues, the voices are not distinctive enough to bring the sense of urgency that is felt while reading the story; it is difficult to sense Hilary's loathing of Stargirl and all she stands for, or Leo's angst as he is torn between "fitting in" and allegiance to Stargirl. His best readings are the dialogues and descriptive passages that engage humor, especially the cheerleading episode as Stargirl spells out "Howdy." The narratives lack a musical vocal quality, and the intonations are predictable. Given that Ritter has strong ability with strictly vocal performances such as the voice for Clifford in Clifford the Big Red Dog (PBS) and other audio works, this could be a story that is better in its print format.-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Promotion - As students read Stargirl, each student will be assigned a theme to follow throughout the novel (e.g. love, popularity, happiness, etc.). In groups, students will work with their themes as we read, noting quotes that relate to their themes and their own questions and responses to the book. Students will record these quotes and responses in weekly blog posts.
At the end of the unit, students will create a project that will reflect the role their theme plays in the novel. The project can be created individually or with up to two other classmates. Students may select a project from the following list, or come up with their own and have it approved by the teacher.
Possible Projects:- Create a fake Facebook profile for one of the characters. Be sure it relates to your theme. - Create a scrapbook with items from the book (and their descriptions) that relate to your theme- Create a video of a scene from the book that relates to your theme using Animoto- Create a piece of visual art (painting, sculpture, masks, etc.) that connects your theme and the book- Write (and perform) a poem or monologue
Personal Reaction - This is a good book. It can make an impact in a junior high setting where looks and popularity are what is important.
Memorable Literary Element - There is a lot of conflict in Stargirl. The main conflict is between Hillari Kimble and Stargirl Caraway. Hillari doesn't like that Stargirl is different, she ruled the school before Stargirl came into town. Hillari wants rid of Stargirl.
Review - School Library Journal Jerry Spinelli's novel, set in small-town Mica, Arizona, is a tender and poignant tale of adolescent relationships. The dynamics between the central characters, Stargirl and Leo, against the backdrop of petty, but entrenched cliques, gives a small window into the painful growth of teenagers and preteens. While the story is compelling, the writing styles don't translate easily to the audio format. Most of the text is narrative, as seen through the eyes of an older Leo, looking back nostalgically on his time spent with Stargirl. Juxtaposed among these memories are "real time" vignettes with dialogue between the assortment of characters. This interplay of time sequences with writing styles demands much of readers/listeners. There are scenes where text is preferable, such as the "Hot Seat" session where Stargirl is pantomiming behind Leo's back. Although narrator John Ritter does an admirable job, it lacks the vitality that Stargirl brings to the story, and the tenderness of Leo's memory. During the dialogues, the voices are not distinctive enough to bring the sense of urgency that is felt while reading the story; it is difficult to sense Hilary's loathing of Stargirl and all she stands for, or Leo's angst as he is torn between "fitting in" and allegiance to Stargirl. His best readings are the dialogues and descriptive passages that engage humor, especially the cheerleading episode as Stargirl spells out "Howdy." The narratives lack a musical vocal quality, and the intonations are predictable. Given that Ritter has strong ability with strictly vocal performances such as the voice for Clifford in Clifford the Big Red Dog (PBS) and other audio works, this could be a story that is better in its print format.-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Promotion - As students read Stargirl, each student will be assigned a theme to follow throughout the novel (e.g. love, popularity, happiness, etc.). In groups, students will work with their themes as we read, noting quotes that relate to their themes and their own questions and responses to the book. Students will record these quotes and responses in weekly blog posts.
At the end of the unit, students will create a project that will reflect the role their theme plays in the novel. The project can be created individually or with up to two other classmates. Students may select a project from the following list, or come up with their own and have it approved by the teacher.
Possible Projects:- Create a fake Facebook profile for one of the characters. Be sure it relates to your theme. - Create a scrapbook with items from the book (and their descriptions) that relate to your theme- Create a video of a scene from the book that relates to your theme using Animoto- Create a piece of visual art (painting, sculpture, masks, etc.) that connects your theme and the book- Write (and perform) a poem or monologue