Stargirl was the first book by Jerry Spinelli that I’ve read.
Since I graduated from high school, I never really found the time to sit with a fiction book. Until I got hold of a copy of this book. I just couldn’t put it down.
Stargirl was a homeschooled teen who eventually attended a public high school. She was unique, she was different, but she was more at ease with being herself than perhaps anyone of us had ever been. She struggled fitting in. She did find a friend or two. She fell in love. It broke her heart, but perhaps not her spirit.
Stargirl somehow awakened my own desire to finally be true to myself. Or perhaps to start asking myself, “Who do I truly wish to be?” After years of listening to society tell you what you ought to be, it takes a while to peel off each layer and reach within for the answers. It takes some time before you even hear your own voice.
Stargirl’s journey showed that being true to one’s self offers no guarantees. Some people will judge us, be rude to us, or cannot accept who we are. Some people will be our friends, while others will opt to keep their distance.
But Stargirl also gave me glimpses of the joy in just being yourself. There are so many ways to live and enjoy life. There are people who will love who we are, and perhaps that is one of the perks of showing up as we are.
Stargirl reminded me of something Braving the Wilderness author Brene Brown said:
True belonging doesn’t require that we change who we are; it requires that we be who we are.
Easier said than done. But definitely worth it. 
Note: Spinelli continues Stargirl’s spellbinding journey of being true to herself in the book Love, Stargirl. Happy reading!
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