Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli
★ Top 25 book of 2000 · #13 on Best Books of 2000
Leo Borlock lives by his school's unspoken rule of never standing out, until the colorful, ukulele-playing Stargirl arrives after years of home schooling. Her rise, then her fall into shunning, tests Leo as he falls in love.
Best for: Teens, ages 12 and up, who value individuality and first love stories
Stargirl is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar.
What Stargirl is about
Leo Borlock narrates the arrival of Stargirl Caraway at Mica High in Arizona. She is homeschooled, plays the ukulele, and sings to students on their birthdays, and no one at school quite knows what to make of her. Leo himself collects porcupine neckties, so he knows a little about being different. At first the students are curious, and Stargirl even becomes popular for cheering on the losing football team, but admiration turns to suspicion when her kindness doesn't follow the school's unwritten rules.
Leo and Stargirl begin a tentative romance, and he soon feels the pressure that comes with standing beside someone so openly herself. Warm, whimsical and a little bittersweet, the novel asks what it costs to stay true to yourself and what it costs to fit in. It is a good match for teens and for any reader who remembers the weight of belonging.
Stargirl on the Best Books of 2000
Stargirl came out in 2000. Of the 45 books first published in 2000 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #13 on our Best Books of 2000 list.
Why it made the list: 390 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (36 ratings); 27 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2000 list
- A Living Nightmare... (Cirque Du Freak #1) Darren Shan, #11
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Jane Yolen, #12
- Gathering Blue Lois Lowry, #14
- The Wide Window Lemony Snicket, #15
See all Best Books of 2000 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1999 Best Books of 2001.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 294 want to read it, 27 are reading it now and 69 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.6 out of 5 from 36 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 76 | 55% |
| Reader love | 9 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 78 | 20% |
Questions about Stargirl
When was Stargirl published?
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli was first published in 2000.
Was Stargirl one of the best books of 2000?
Stargirl is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar. 390 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (36 ratings); 27 are reading it right now.
Why is Stargirl on the Best Books of 2000 list?
390 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.6 out of 5 (36 ratings); 27 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2000
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling, #1
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene, #2
- Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo, #3
- The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson, #4
- Life of Pi Yann Martel, #5
- Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan, #6
See the full Best Books of 2000, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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