Stargirl

Title: Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Pages: 4 discs

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Stargirl is not like anybody else.  She wears whatever she wants to school, sings Happy Birthday to kids in the lunchroom while strumming on her banjo and decorates her desk with tablecloth and flowers in each period. The kids at school don't know what to make of her, but eventually she becomes popular for a short period of time until her 5 minutes of fame are up and the cliques at the school begin to shun her again.

My Review:  The novel is a sort of coming-of-age book about a brave, strong, girl who is not afraid to be a non-conformist. It was an easy, thought-provoking read, and quite enjoyable.

Maniac Magee

Title: Maniac Magee

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Pages: 184

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Maniac Magee runs away from a bad situation at home.  His parents had died years before in a train accident and he was living with his aunt and uncle who didn't get along.  Maniac ran to the next town over, stopped going to school and lived in the buffalo enclosure at the local zoo.  Although he wasn't going to school, he still loved to read and was an excellent sportsman and runner.  Maniac's antics help to unify a city divided by race.

My Review: As a kid this was one of my favorite books.  I recently read it with Ada and while it was probably a year or two above her level, I think that she enjoyed it. I still liked the book, but not as much as I did when I was younger.