Stargirl
A celebration of nonconformity; a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love. Ages 12+ Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her. In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Stargirl
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Stargirl Caraway transfers into Mica High School wearing pioneer dresses and singing happy birthday to strangers in the cafeteria. Leo Borlock falls in love with her, and slowly with the cost of standing out.
Jerry Spinelli wrote two Stargirl books: Stargirl (2000) and Love, Stargirl (2007). The first follows the perspective of Leo; the second is Stargirl's own first-person account.
Yes. Disney+ released a 2020 film adaptation directed by Julia Hart and starring Grace VanderWaal. A sequel, Hollywood Stargirl, followed in 2022. Both are loose adaptations.
Stargirl was written by Jerry Spinelli, published in 2000 by 理論社.
Stargirl is 192 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Stargirl takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
Stargirl is a standalone novel by Jerry Spinelli, not part of a series.
Stargirl is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.