Page 2 December 20, 2018
By Jasmine Rahman, Library Assistant
Stargirl is probably not a title that you
recognize at your local library’s shelf and
it could possibly be because author Jerry
Spinelli decided to represent the title with
pictures instead of words. This results in a
small yellow star and a stick figure of a girl,
which represent the title, Stargirl. This may
be confusing to the readers, but the pictures
in the title are worth a thousand words.
Stargirl. You probably never met a girl like
her. She comes to school in strange outfits,
dances around the cafeteria with her ukulele,
and sings happy birthday to every student
when it’s their birthday. The students find
it very strange and they start to reject her.
They call her a fake and even start spreading
rumors about her. But it doesn’t take long for
Stargirl to gain popularity once she joins the
cheerleading squad. Suddenly, people want
to mimic everything she does. She even stole
ordinary Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile.
But is Leo the right one for her? Leo is the
exact opposite of Stargirl. He’ll do whatever
it takes to conform to the peers in his society
and not be...weird. He is stuck between
choosing to live “normal” or be different with
Entertainment
Stargirl. Before you know it, Stargirl’s popularity
doesn’t last too long. Stargirl is suddenly
neglected for her every move that makes her
different from her peers. Leo, panicked and
vulnerable, encourages her to do the thing she
hates most: being “normal.”
This Young Adult novel was a weird read,
but in a positive way where the main character
breaks the “normal” standards of her generation.
Spinelli did a great job exposing the difficulties
that a young teenager can face. It’s not
easy being yourself in an environment where
everyone expects you to be just like them. I
loved this book because the main character was
a free spirit and always did what she believed
in. She disregarded how others judged her,
which we don’t see too often in this generation.
People will do anything these days to fit
in even if it means to lose their true selves.
Spinelli does an astonishing job tying the
cover of the book with what he wants the
readers to take from the story. He wanted to
be different with his title, so he used pictures
to represent his title instead of words. He
leaves an impression on the readers to never
be ordinary, but to always be different and
stay true to yourself.
To check out Stargirl, or browse our extensive
juvenile fiction collection, please visit
the library to apply for your free library card.
For further assistance including helping to
discover your next great read, please contact
the Youth Services staff. •
Check It Out
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Jasmine Rahman
Film Review
If Beale Street Could Talk:
Keeping Love Alive
Morgan Rojas.
By Morgan Rojas
for www.cinemacy.com
If there are any people who still believe
that La La Land should have taken home
the Best Picture Oscar, Barry Jenkins has
reminded us why he deserved that divisive
win. While Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong
biopic, First Man, received lukewarm
reviews across the board, Jenkins has done the
seemingly impossible in his follow-up feature
to Moonlight by creating an equally moving
and beautiful portrait with a familiar theme:
love triumphs above everything else. Adapted
from James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, If Beale
Street Could Talk is another instant classic as it
tackles the radically unjust racial stereotype of
being a black man in 1970s America and the
lengths a young woman is willing to go for
the love of her life.
Tish Rivers (KiKi Lanye) and Alonzo
“Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James) were childhood
best friends whose sweet friendship blossomed
into a loving relationship as they grew into
young adults. Tish is a gentle, innocent soul
with a personality that perfectly complements
the gentlemanly gestures of Fonny’s genuine
love. Although they are young -- Tish in her
late teens and Fonny in his early twenties
-- they have big plans and dreams for their
future, which now includes a baby. But on
the night Tish announces she is pregnant, a
cause worthy of celebration, she is also dealing
with the reality that her soulmate and best
friend is sitting in a prison cell for a crime
he didn’t commit.
The magic that Barry Jenkins captured
in Moonlight is back in Beale Street and, any
way you look at it, this film radiates beauty. The
original score by Academy Award-nominated
composer Nicholas Britell is layered with
methodical orchestral sounds of bold strings
and classical piano. Each strum of the bow
tells its own heartbreaking and emotive story.
Musically, this is the most powerful film of
2018. Visually, cinematographer James Laxton
continues to create art within every frame.
Laxton, who worked with Jenkins on Moonlight,
brings the same intimacy and dreaminess
that made him an Academy Award nominee
back to the big screen (and another nomination
seems obvious).
Unlike Moonlight, however, Beale
Street jumps the narrative timeline and instead
floats in and out of Tish and Fonny’s life together
and apart. Another inventive technique is how
the characters share their intimate conversations
of distress and longing while looking directly
into the camera. They address each other while
visually addressing the audience, which can
feel jarring at first. However, this tactic brings
the story closer to home, which prompts the
audience into an indirect yet burning desire
to emotionally support Tish and her family
in helping clear Fonny’s name. This voluntary
obligation stems directly from these intimate
conversations, showcasing the power of words
and the passionate people behind them.
If Beale Street Could Talk is a cinematic
masterpiece and the complete package: a powerful
cast of mostly newcomers to the screen,
a story that hits the emotional pinpoints, and
a superb filmmaking team behind the scenes.
Stephan James quietly commands the picture as
a role model for men, and KiKi Layne equally
captivates in her feature film debut. Powerful
supporting performances from Brian Tyree
Henry, Colman Domingo and Dave Franco
add to its emotional impact. When watching If
Beale Street Could Talk, prepare to be engulfed
in emotions as you witness the pureness and
fragility of true love.
If Beale Street Could Talk is rated R for
language and some sexual content. 119 minutes.
Now Playing at ArcLight Hollywood and the
Landmark, expanding on Christmas Day. •
If Beale Street Could Talk, Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
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for twenty words or less.
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