Madeline Lederer

Dear Mr. Spinelli,

I write to you in an effort to describe the impact your novel Stargirl has made on my life.  When I was growing up, Stargirl was one of my favorite books because of its uniqueness.  I had never read about anybody like Stargirl before, and I was truly intrigued by her.  She was so different than anyone else, more complex and interesting.  For me, understanding what Stargirl was all about help me understand so much more about myself and the world that I live in.

There is a lot to be learned from the characters in Stargirl.  One of the most important lessons I learned from the novel was to stay true to myself and not be afraid to be different.  Stargirl’s nonconformity was a new concept for me, but I loved how truly unique she was.  My favorite part about Stargirl was how selfless she was, as well as how much she cared for other people.  She made me see that doing kind things for others, such as dropping off gifts for random people on their doorsteps, is a way that I can make myself happy, while making others happy as well.  While most people aren’t as selfless as Stargirl, the creation of this character embodied everything that people should be:  unique, confident, unafraid of being different, and generous to others.  If everyone followed this example, we would all be happy.  We would care more about each other and do so much more for one another, instead of being focused on ourselves all of the time.

Among many other things, Stargirl taught me to appreciate those in my life who make me a better person, and to also be more openminded of those I come across throughout my life. I've learned the importance of looking past the differences I may have with someone, and focus more on the things we have in common. Sometimes the people who seem the strangest are actually the ones who are the most worthy of getting to know. Your novel showed me that accepting others and learning more about them can in turn help me learn more about myself. Stargirl taught me to talk to a wider variety of people and appreciate everyone for who they are and for the good that they have inside of them, not how they appear on the outside, or how different they may seem.

I've always believed, especially after reading Stargirl, that throughout our lives, we meet a series of people that in some way change us, transforming us into the best possible versions of ourselves. While these people we meet may come and go, just as Stargirl did in Leo's life, the impact they make on our lives remains a part of who we are forever. In order for this to happen for us, however, we must allow others to touch our lives. We must open up to those who are trying to reach for us. There are people like Stargirl out there changing the world, changing lives everyday, and your novel made me realize that the best thing I can do for myself is let these people into my story and let them make their impact on my life's many chapters.

Madeline Lederer