Told through the perspective of Leo Borlock, a girl named Stargirl enrolls in his high school and disrupts the school's social norm with her... eccentricities.
In his book, Jerry Spinelli cleverly asks students to think about how badly they seek validation from strangers. Stargirl provides an excellent snapshot of the high school pressure and dilemma of being an individual walking their own path or sacrificing their individuality to become popular.
"We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew." - Stargirl, pg. 15.
Far North (1996) By Will Hobbs HarperCollins Publishing
Splendors and Glooms (2012) By Laura Amy Schlitz Candlewick Press
Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy By Tui T. Sutherland New York: Scholastic Inc.
The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins Scholastic Inc.
Book One: The Hunger Games (2008) Book Two: Catching Fire (2009) Book Three: Mockingjay (2010)