The result is a sort of Fresno Salaam Bombay without the pockets of humanity that gave the original its charm. This unrelenting portrait is unsparing in squalid details: The glue sniffers, gangs, bums, casual knifings, filth, and stench are in the forefront of a life without much hope``Laundry wept from the lines, the faded flags of poor, ignorant, unemployable people.'' Soto plays the tale straightthe only sign of a ``happy'' ending is in Eddie's joining the Navy. Everything he tries turns soura stint doing yard work ends when his boss's truck is stolen on Eddie's watchand life is a daily battle for survival. His aunt and friends want him to avenge the recent murder of his cousin, but Eddie just wants to find a way out. In bleak sentences of whispered beauty, Eddie tells how he dropped out of vocational college and is attempting to get by with odd jobs. 12-14)Įddie, a young Mexican-American scraping by in the mean streets of Fresno, California, counts four dead relatives and one dead friend in the opening, in-your-face lines of this new novel from Soto (Snapshots from the Wedding, p. The wish-fulfilling title and sun-washed, catalog-beautiful teens on the cover will be enticing for girls looking for a diversion. Besides the mostly off-stage issue of a parent’s severe illness there’s not much here to challenge most readers-driving, beer-drinking, divorce, a moment of surprise at the mothers smoking medicinal pot together.
In the background the two mothers renew their friendship each year, and Lauren, Belly’s mother, provides support for her friend-if not, unfortunately, for the children-in Susannah’s losing battle with breast cancer. Belly’s dawning awareness of her sexuality and that of the boys is a strong theme, as is the sense of summer as a separate and reflective time and place: Readers get glimpses of kisses on the beach, her best friend’s flirtations during one summer’s visit, a first date. And what better way to celebrate this New Year’s Day than to begin writing a letter to my once (and future) boyfriend. If I were in charge of calendars, every day would be January 1. Belly measures her growing self by these summers and by her lifelong relationship with the older boys, her brother and her mother’s best friend’s two sons. Love, Stargirl Jerry Spinelli January 1 Dear Leo, I love beginnings. Individuality and self expression were two things that were very important to some of the major characters in this book.Han’s leisurely paced, somewhat somber narrative revisits several beach-house summers in flashback through the eyes of now 15-year-old Isabel, known to all as Belly. Which character did you relate to the most in this book? Why is this? How did this character change throughout the book? Essay Topic 2 Stargirl put a sliced orange on a fence in the back yard of the house at 1334 Cranberry Street. Stargirl put a sliced orange by the yard at 1334 Cranberry Street. Stargirl put a cranberry and a sliced orange in the back yard of 1334 First Street. Write an essay for ONE of the following topics: Essay Topic 1 Stargirl put a cranberry on a fence in her backyard. What does Betty Lou say is ironic about the cereus? Essay Topics What good does Alvina see in being what she thinks is a bad kid?ġ0. What does Stargirl say would have to happen for Leo to see this letter?ĩ. Give at least two examples from the novel to support your answer. Please complete on a separate piece of paper. How is Betty Lou able to enjoy the cereus?Ĩ. Answer all questions in a complete sentence. What does Stargirl say about pulling weeds for her job?Ħ. It is not unlikely that he could be groping for the right questions. What is strange about the first long conversation Stargirl has with Perry?ĥ. It isn’t all the time that a man gets to have a face to face, up-close meeting with a stunning woman he’s heavily attracted to. Why does Stargirl start spending more time with Alvina?Ĥ. Why is Alvina told about Counting Coup?ģ. The author, Jerry Spinelli has an amazing voice throughout it. What does Stargirl love about the bird in her back yard?Ģ. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli Stargirl is a very thought- provoking book. Who owns the cereus? Short Essay Questionsġ. What does Stargirl compare herself to after Perry disappoints her?ĥ. What is the first thing Leo asks Stargirl about when they talk at night?Ĥ. What causes Stargirl to force Betty Lou out of bed?ģ.
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
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