Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

I've recently reread Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. What a treat. This YA novel is about a high school in Arizona that is too much the same, everywhere. Enter Stargirl, the homeschool girl who has just come up for air. She plays the ukelele, she shows up at strangers' funerals, she hauls a tablecloth and fresh flowers to decorate her desk in each class. She's different. And sweet. And innocent. The story is told from a young boy's perspective, which I loved, who has a crush on Stargirl. What's a high school to do with someone who doesn't fit in?

It takes me back to my own high school days. I grew up in Portland, the land where people who don't fit in move to. There was a group for everyone, and even the loners felt like a group. I look back on the experience and cringe. I've learned so much since then. I hope they all have, too.

My favorite part in Stargirl is when she takes Leo, the narrator, to her home. In her room she has a small wagon on a shelf with ten rocks in and around it. She explains that when she feels sad, she takes a rock out. When she's happy, she puts one in. At that point, it was an eight-rock life. I love this idea. It reminds me of the Caribbean worry dolls. You put your worries on a little piece of paper in this little pouch that also contained little voodoo looking dolls, and they would worry for you, so you didn't have to.