February 24 - March 3, 2013
STARGIRL
Bibliography:
Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Knopf.
Summary:
Stargirl is the new girl at school and she’s a little
different. She walks to the beat of her own drum, or ukulele, whatever the case
may be. Although she doesn’t conform to the societal norms of high school,
eventually she is embraced for her differences…then shunned for them. Leo is in
awe of this girl and just can’t figure her out. Then one day there is a spark,
a connection, and he is forever changed. See, Stargirl is an enigma, a force of
nature, an odd little duck, as some may say. She doesn’t see the world the same
as everyone else and this is her gift, and her curse. When her peers decide
they’ve had enough of her shenanigans, the actions that make her unique, they
turn their back on her. She doesn’t seem to care but Leo, well Leo has a
difficult time getting the same treatment because of his association with her.
Through their ups and downs, Stargirl makes an attempt to be “normal” but that
doesn’t help and only makes her not “her” anymore. Stargirl returns, only to
disappear forever soon after. As life goes on, eventually they see that she
truly made a difference in their lives.
Impressions:
Although a little tough to get into at first, I soon felt I
was back in high school and remembered the differences between my now-husband
and myself and how much I could relate to Stargirl. Spinelli wonderfully
captured the struggle between individuality and fitting in from the point of
view of a high school boy, one not often seen in this genre.
Reviews:
Spinelli portrays
an elegant and lifelike microcosm of high school life and the conflict between
conformity and individuality. Susan nicknames herself "Stargirl" and
at first dazzles her new friends and classmates, but then she enrages them with
her offbeat antics. Leo, the narrator, is both in love with and disgusted with
Stargirl. Spinelli's newest novel can be called a humorous tragedy and a unique
love story.
Haar, D.V.
(2002). Stargirl. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(3),
218.
Peer pressure and conformity as well as first love are at the heart of this
story about a very unusual girl who manages to change her new high school
forever. (5 awards)
Hilbun, J., &
Claes, J. (2007). Stargirl. Book Links, 16, 20.
Uses:
I would recommend this book for the boys to read, although
the cover doesn’t scream “BOY” to me, or them, at all. In addition, I would
encourage the students struggling to fit in to explore it as well and hold a
discussion group using the questions in the back of the book.
DEADLINE
Bibliography:
Crutcher, C. (2007). Deadline. New York: Greenwillow
Books.
Summary:
Ben Wolf is a high school senior who discovers he has
incurable leukemia and has only a year to live. He is determined to make the
most of it and live life to the fullest, leaving everyone around him none the
wiser. Only his doctor and counselor are privy to his condition and he wants to
keep it that way, against their better judgment. But he is an adult and has the
right to keep this information private. His diagnosis leads him on a path of
living life with no regret: joining the football team, going after THE girl,
and leaving an indelible impression on his hometown so he won’t be forgotten
after he’s gone. An eye-opening perspective of a teenager wise beyond his years
(he learns he is dying and worries more about the feelings of the others around
him), this book leaves you contemplating your own existence.
Impressions:
This book is heavy on the sports play-by-plays that I tended
to lose interest in the detail but the human struggle Ben faces is one that any
of us would relate to if faced with our own impending mortality. I loved his
conversations with “Hey-soos” which allowed him to ask the questions he couldn’t
talk about with anyone else.
Reviews:
After learning
that he has a terminal disease and, at most, a year to live, eighteen-year-old
Ben Wolf decides to keep the information to himself and to forgo all treatment,
thinking that "my chances aren't about living, they're about living well."
He changes sports from cross-country to football (now coached by Louie Banks,
from Crutcher's Running Loose [rev. 8/831]) and becomes aggressive-and
successful-in pursuing the smart and sexy Dallas Suzuki. He wants to
"maximize his education" and becomes an autodidact, challenging what
he sees as the meaningless drivel taught in high school. That Ben's social
awareness parallels many of Crutcher's previous themes (freedom of speech,
individual choice, free expression) will come as no surprise, but Ben's
nothing-to-lose perspective allows both him and Crutcher to raise the stakes.
As the year progresses, Ben realizes
that his decision is more complicated than he first knew: by not revealing his
secret, he's also lying to family and friends. Ben particularly worries about
his younger brother, fellow football-player Cody. Can he survive without Ben,
or will Ben's death allow him to stand on his own? Multiple subplots-the most
notable involving a guilty ex-priest-don't always add to the story and can inch
over the top. But Crutcher's latest is for the most part an exhilarating read
that will make readers wonder about the meaning and worth of their own lives.
Carter, B.
(2007). Deadline. The Horn Book Magazine, 83(5), 569.
Just before his
senior year, Ben Wolf is diagnosed with a rare, incurable leukemia. At 18, he
has the legal right to keep the news to himself until he's ready to reveal it.
With only his doctor and therapist in on his secret, Ben sets out to live an
entire lifetime in a year: "There are insects that pack it all into a
day," he reasons. His goals are to join his brother on the football team;
learn everything he can; and ask out gorgeous Dallas Suzuki. Crutcher fits far
too much into this ambitious novel, which includes subplots about incest, pedophilia,
manic depression, and intellectual freedom, as well as a Jesus-like character
who appears in visions. And readers may feel distanced from Ben, whose
first-person voice and reactions never quite feel authentic. But, as usual,
Crutcher writes vivid sports action scenes, and teens' interest will be held by
the story's dramatic premise, Ben's unlikely turn as a football hero, love
scenes with Dallas (including some mildly explicit sex), and Ben's high-gear
pursuit of life's biggest questions.
Engberg, G.
(2007). Deadline. The Booklist, 104(1), 131.
Uses:
I would recommend this to a student facing a loss or
illness. It would also be one I would market toward the boys interested in
sports as it is a great story of the underdog using determination and heart to
succeed where others thought he wouldn’t.
