Who would have thought that refusing to sell
chocolates would cause such trouble? But at Trinity High School,
the chocolate sale means more than just two bucks a box. It means
conforming to the school administration and to the Vigils, the secret
society that really runs the school. When Jerry Renault refuses
to participate in the chocolate sale, it turns his world upside
down. But no one would let it go to far.....right? A
classic in its own right, this is an excellent book (one of my
favorites) whose ending will leave you stunned and wanting more.
As the novel begins, Elvin is on his way to
"21 Nights with the Knights", a camp for all the freshmen of the high
school he is about to enter. It is a fun place to make new
friends and play sports. At the camp, Elvin realizes that these
are not the only reasons for the camp. The school is trying to
fit him into his "slot". Will Elvin fit into the football
slot? What about baseball? Or wrestling? What will happen
if Elvin does not fit in? What will happen if Elvin does not want
to fit in? A humorous and sincere look at the pressures of high
school. 
No one has ever seen the likes of Stargirl at
Mica High. She carries a rat in her purse. She dresses in
weird costumes. She carries a ukulele and sings "Happy Birthday"
to a different person at lunch everyday. And perhaps worst of
all... She actually says hi and smiles at other people in the
hall. Slowly, however, the students of Mica High begin to wonder
if maybe Stargirl has had it right all along. Soon, the students
are following her, and she becomes the most popular girl in
school. But nothing this good can last (would we want to read
about it if it did?), and Stargirl is suddenly outcast. This
quick-read confronts the ideas of popularity and conformity (two
of the rebel's worst enemies).