Stargirl

by Jerry Spinelli

"The Road Not Taken"
Stargirl is a road-less-traveled-by kind of girl, don't you think? Use this poem to jumpstart a conversation with your students about nonconformity, the paths we choose in life, and the regrets we may have for choosing the widely accepted path (we're thinking of Leo here). Bonus: Robin Williams quotes this poem in the Dead Poet's Society clip we included in our Current Events and Pop Culture section above.

The Outsiders
Social class? Identity? Friendship? Check, check, and check. The Outsiders is a book that addresses some similar themes to Stargirl in a wildly different kind of story. The Outsiders delivers a class conflict structured around wealth rather than popularity, but you'll see the characters struggle with some of the same issues of loyalty, social hierarchy, and group dynamics that come up in Stargirl. Warning: This book contains some significantly violent scenes. Reader discretion advised.