Star Girl It begins with Leo Borlock, the narrator, receiving a porcupine tie from his uncle as a parting gift. This is the only porcupine tie you own until you received your second porcupine tie as a birthday present from an anonymous sender. The mysterious sender of the gift turns out to be Stargirl, and although this fact is told only during the last part of the story, it can be easily inferred in the first chapters.

Susan (Stargirl) Carraway is homeschooled for most of her school years and when she enrolled at Mica High, everyone noticed. It’s because Stargirl isn’t just new. She is different. He wears different clothes, decorates his desk, plays the ukulele (what’s a ukulele, anyway?), And sings Happy Birthday during lunchtime, among many other oddities.

This is my first time reading a Jerry Spinelli book and I think now I understand the praise and positive praise he has received for Stargirl. The writing is simple and comfortable, and the characters are easy to get familiar with. I find it easy to fall into the likeable character of Leo and I can understand how the entire student body tries to uncover (albeit failing) the mystery that is Stargirl.

Stargirl may be a short read, but it’s packed with relevant topics and lessons that every teenager can learn from. Being different is indeed a rarity, especially in a high school setting and I can really relate to Leo as he struggles between his feelings for Stargirl and his feelings that he doesn’t like his classmates. High school is where most normal teens begin to discover their identity and yearn to belong. When I was in high school, I remember begging my mother to buy me a pair of sandals exactly the same as my classmates. I felt at the time that having a different shoe would affect his acceptance of me and the possibility of being banished (rejected is the term used in the book) of my barkada it seemed to be the most devastating tragedy. Of course, my perspective has changed over the years, but I think I understand how everyone in high school sees someone different.

I don’t know what religious views Jerry Spinelli has, but the part where Stargirl takes Leo to the enchanted place and teaches him to “connect with the earth” makes me uncomfortable. This New Age idea is somewhat contrary to my own religious beliefs, but other than that, I still find the book very engaging and inspiring.

I like how Stargirl encourages the reader to feel comfortable with himself and proud of his own identity. These are lessons that not only teens need to learn, but adults too. As Stargirl, let’s live in the present, enjoy life’s little blessings, and be a blessing to others with random acts of kindness.

I can’t wait to read the sequel With love, Stargirl.

4 stars.