Stargirl
About
There's a new girl in tenth grade and says her name is Stargirl. The entire school's not sure what to think of her and the kind things she does. Leo realizes that he's in love with her, but has a difficult time accepting that she's not like everybody else.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Where does the story take place?
Page 2 — Mica, Arizona
2
What grade is Stargirl in?
Page 4 — 10th
4
What instrument does she carry on her back?
Page 4 — Ukulele
4
What in-school television show did Kevin and Leo want to put her on?
Page 5 — Hot Seat
5
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl sing to Alan during lunch?
Page 9 — Happy Birthday
9
Why was Stargirl dismissed from the cross country team?
Page 11 — She turned the wrong way during the race and never made it to the finish line
11
Why couldn’t the kids at school understand Stargirl?
Page 11 — She was different, not predictable
11
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl leave in the mailbox when Leo was following her around?
Page 16 — A note that said congratulations
16
Why did Leo stop following Stargirl?
Page 18 — He was scared, it was getting late
18
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Why did Hillari try out for the cheerleading team?
Page 19 — To prove she could make it on the team
19
What did Wayne Parr want to be in life?
Page 20 — A model
20
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl do during half time of the football game that was different?
Page 23 — she danced on the field, kicked the ball
23
What did the captain of the cheerleaders ask Stargirl?
Page 25 — To be on the cheerleading squad
25
Even though students liked Stargirl, why were they afraid of her?
Page 26 — she was different
26
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why did Hillari warn Stargirl about her birthday?
Page 27 — She didn’t want Stargirl singing to her
27
Who did Stargirl sing to instead?
Page 28 — Leo
28
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why does Archie have bones everywhere?
Page 30 — He’s a paleontologist
30
Why do kids go over to his home on Saturday’s?
Page 31 — he teaches them
31
How did Archie know Stargirl?
Page 33 — He’d taught her once a week for 5 years
33
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did Hillari threaten to do with Stargirl’s rat?
Page 37 — Drop it over the railing
37
Why did people start flocking to Stargirl?
Page 38 — They liked her, weren’t scared of her anymore
38
What contest did Stargirl win?
Page 39 — The school’s oratorical contest
39
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why did kids start to color their hair purple or paint their nails green?
Page 41 — They felt they could be themselves
41
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl do with the Pledge of Allegiance every morning when they recited it?
Page 44 — Changed it
44
Why did Stargirl go to people's funerals, sing happy birthday to them and give them cards?
Page 46 — to be kind, show them she's thinking of them, help them be happy
46
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Who did Stargirl cheer for during the basketball games?
Page 48 — Both teams
48
Why didn’t bad things affect Stargirl?
Page 52 — She didn’t care what others thought
52
Why did the bus leave Stargirl at the Red Rocks high school?
Page 54 — the cheerleaders tricked her and the bus driver
54
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
What’s the name of Stargirl’s rat?
Page 58 — Cinnamon
58
What did Stargirl pretend when she sat in the Hot Seat?
Page 60 — That it was burning her
60
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
What’s Stargirl’s real name?
Page 62 — Susan
62
Why does Stargirl change her name?
Page 63 — when it doesn’t fit her anymore, she changes it
63
Why did Stargirl stop homeschooling?
Page 66 — She wanted to make friends
66
How did the jurors treat Stargirl during the filming of Hot Seat?
Page 67 — Mean/ like a mob
67
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl get hit in the face with during the basketball game?
Page 72 — A tomato
72
Who was the note that Leo found in his notebook from?
Page 72 — Stargirl
72
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
How did Leo feel about the Valentine card from Stargirl?
Page 74 — Embarrassed
74
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
What had the cheerleaders done to Stargirl?
Page 77 — Kicked her off the squad
77
What’s the nickname the girls gave Leo?
Page 78 — Starboy / Mr. Stargirl
78
When Leo went to Stargirl’s house, where did he hide when she came outside?
Page 79 — Behind a car
79
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
What did Stargirl’s enchanted place look like?
Page 90 — The desert
90
At her enchanted place, what did Stargirl do to help her feel like she was nothing?
Page 91 — Erase herself with an imaginary eraser
91
What did Leo feel when he felt like nothing?
Page 94 — Silence and peace
94
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Why are the students in the school giving Stargirl the silent treatment?
Page 98 — The students are mad at her
98
What does the phrase, “frost froze on the back of my neck” mean?
Page 99 — he could feel other students mean and cold comments about Stargirl
99
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
Why did Leo want Stargirl to be more like everybody else?
Page 101 — People would understand her / they'd like her
101
What question did the cactus ask Leo?
Page 104 — Whose affection does he value more, kids at school or Stargirl’s
104
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
How did Stargirl help Leo be a better person?
Page 107 — Helped him feel more confident
107
Who gave Leo the porcupine tie for his birthday two years before?
Page 111 — Stargirl
111
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
How did Stargirl know what was going on in people’s lives?
Page 112 — She reads the paper and bulletin boards
112
What’s the “card game”?
Page 115 — try to find out what kind of card a person needs to be sent to help them feel better
115
Why does Stargirl leave loose change around?
Page 118 — She doesn’t like it/ to make others happy in finding it
118
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
What does Stargirl do with the pebble wagon under her bed?
Page 120 — Takes a pebble out if she’s unhappy, put a pebble back if she’s happy
120
Why is she taking pictures of the neighbor boy?
Page 122 — to make a scrapbook for him
122
Why did Leo ask Stargirl if she were running for “saint”?
Page 124 — she’s always doing nice things for other people
124
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
Why was being shunned so hard for Leo?
Page 126 — He needed the other students attention
126
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
What two feelings did Leo feel when he saw the sign made by Stargirl on the Roadrunner board?
Page 130 — Excited and uncomfortable
130
How did Leo treat Stargirl after school when she wanted to talk about her sign?
Page 131 — Rudely, mean
131
Why did Leo feel like he was invisible?
Page 132 — no one talked to him anymore
132
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
Who did Leo want her to become more like?
Page 137 — The people in the town/at the school
137
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
What was Leo’s first reaction when he saw Susan?
Page 140 — Ecstatic
140
Why had Stargirl changed her name back to Susan and began acting like everyone else?
Page 142 — So they would like her
142
How many happiness pebbles were in Stargirl’s wagon after she became Susan?
Page 143 — Two
143
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Why is Dori mad at Stargirl?
Page 145 — Because she became Susan and betrayed who she really is
145
Why did Susan believe she was going to win the contest?
Page 144 — She’d had a vision
144
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
When had Susan prepared her speech for the contest?
Page 154 — She didn’t, she just opened her mouth and said what she felt
154
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
What was Susan’s prize for winning first place at the contest?
Page 157 — A silver plate
157
How many people were waiting at the high school for Susan to congratulate her?
Page 159 — three
159
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
Why was Susan so stunned when no one came to congratulate her?
Page 161 — she’d thought they’d like her when she won the contest
161
Who did Susan become after the contest?
Page 161 — Stargirl
161
How did Leo feel about Stargirl returning?
Page 161 — Angry
161
Was being popular important to Stargirl after she tried to be Susan?
Page 162 — No
162
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
How does Stargirl arrive to the Ocotillo Ball?
Page 167 — In a bicycle sidecar
167
What finally broke the ice and helped people like Stargirl at the dance?
Page 171 — They realized they liked her just the way she was
171
What dance did Stargirl and the other students do all over the golf course?
Page 171 — The Bunny Hop
171
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
Where had Stargirl moved to?
Page 176 — Minnesota
176
Where was Stargirl’s “office”?
Page 178 — Archie’s toolshed
178
Chapter 33
Comprehension questions
When Leo came to visit Archie after going away to college, what did he do with Barney the skull?
Page 182 — put him in a rock/ took him home
182
More Than Stars
Comprehension questions
Name one way the school remembered Stargirl and her kindness?
Page 185 — Club called the Sunflowers (everyone has to do a kind deed for someone else every day), there’s a ukulele in their marching band, the first basket the other team scores at a basketball game a small group of students cheers for the other team
185
Why doesn’t Leo feel like he’s alone even though Stargirl is far away?
Page 186 — He got a porcupine tie for his birthday
186
Publisher recommendation: Grade 7 and up. School-grade browsing includes grades 7–12.
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