By Jerry Spinelli

Published: 2000

Word Count: 41,214

AR Level: 4.2

AR Points: 6.0

I suggest 6th through 12th grade (content is clean).

Star Girl is different. And that’s a good thing. Here’s why readers and writers might give it a whirl.

Why this story is relevant 20 years later

I had glimpsed Star Girl on bookshelves at B&N and Half Price Books. I was always somewhat aware of its existence and enduring popularity, even though I never jumped in and read it.

That’s why, when I saw Disney+ had made a movie about it, I knew it was finally time to give the book a spin. And boy, I’m glad I did.

Spinelli is no doubt a talented writer. He uses words in those creative and clever ways that so many authors try to emulate. But at its core, the story has deep meaning that goes beyond pretty writing. I may have walked away with more questions than answers, but to me, that’s the best type of book: one that keeps me thinking.

This book may be twenty years and counting, and although I did chuckle at the mention of the newspaper (where did those go!!!), this story hasn’t lost its core relevance for a modern generation.

What readers love about Star Girl

We are all so busy. So worried about being liked. So nervous about standing out in a negative way. Now in my forties, I can tell you that I still worry about those things. Maybe not as much as I did–and maybe that’s why Star Girl hit home with me.

I’m going to let you in on a secret–I was homeschooled in high school. I’m not sure I’ve ever publicly announced that. You see, I was kind of ashamed of it–and Star Girl gives me a clue why. Homeschooling can lead to weirdness, right? I was always worried I’d stand out for the wrong reasons, even though I was homeschooled so I could figure skate at a high level. If you think homeschoolers are sheltered, I debunked that. The skating world is very…mature.

Anyway, I finally learned that everyone is self-conscious, even after high school, and even if they were “popular” in high school. In fact, being myself did actually come with respect from others. I’m a history and book nerd, and I write crazy stuff in my downtime. But my real friends love me because I love them.

At the heart of Star Girl, I think that’s what we discover. Different is not bad. Different is cool. Being unique is unique. And if people are hating you for it, then it reflects on them, not you.

What writers should know

Many books follow the outcast. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But don’t fall into the trap that getting a makeover or the right “date” is going to fix your character’s world or make them better. Let them fail. Let them be weird. Let’s veer from the Hollywood dialogue of how you finally get cool and think about how writing can give us ways to expand what humans should be.

Want to know what I’m yammering about? Learn more about the book here.