Lauren Papotto, Winner Level II Grades 7-8

Letter to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl

Dear Mr. Spinelli,

As I sat in class one day, I noticed something for the first time. We were all alike. We all ate the same food, wore the same clothes, talked the same way and did the same things. No one ever dared to be different, dared to express himself or herself. There we were: all following the same path, never wandering off to explore our individual selves. We never wore odd colored nail polish, or dyed our hair. We didn't wear our hair in funky styles. Of course, there were the occasional few who chose to wander off our well-worn path into the world beyond. But within a short period of time, they'd be back on the path again. It was as if a giant elastic band was waiting to snap us back into our places should we travel too far. And there I was, following that same old, boring path. But this, Mr. Spinelli, was my life before I read your book. Before I read Stargirl.

In the beginning, I noticed that the students at Mica Area High were just like the students here at William Allen Middle School. Basically all synchronized, we never broke up the original routine for a new one. I think that we were like that because we wanted to fit in. We wanted to be popular and hang out with the "in crowd". But I wasn't satisfied with that, and though I tried, I couldn't muster up enough courage to do something different. As you introduced Stargirl into your story, I could see right away that she was special. She chose her own path, "Marched to the beat of her own drum," as my mother would say. Everything that came her way in life was greeted with a smile and a great deal of enthusiasm. Her exuberant personality inspired me to read on.

As more and more of Stargirl's character was unleashed, I decided that I wanted to be more like her. I enjoyed learning about her card games and happy wagon and just how she lived her life. It annoyed me, however, that the other students excluded her just because she wasn't ordinary. My decision was to try as hard as I possibly could to be like her, no matter what other students thought of me. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the effect I wanted: the effect of unlimited happiness.

I spend increasing amounts of time locked in thought. In my mind, I was trying to figure out how Stargirl was always happy. As I lay on my bed one afternoon watching the sunset, it hit me. Stargirl was always happy because she was never thinking about herself. Whether it was the kid next door, a girl from math class, or a complete stranger, other people always came first. Just doing things for other people made her happy. I realized at once that I was never going to be quite like her, because I'm always, on some level, thinking about me. But I did not abandon my new lifestyle I'd adopted through the search of myself. Stargirl taught me a very important lesson, Mr. Spinelli. I should always be myself, no matter what other people think of me. Now, while people still follow that same old path, I'm out in the world exploring life. I always try my best to face every challenge with enthusiasm, and the happy wagon that sits on my dresser is almost always more than half full.

Yours truly,

Lauren Papotto

William Allen Middle School, Moorestown, NJ