STARGIRL will be streaming on Disney+ on March 13th!

Back in the day, I used to read dozens of young adult novels every month in order to create curriculum around it for my afterschool program.

You’d be surprised at how moved a book written for tweens and teens moved me even as an adult. STARGIRL was a book that was particularly moving to me.

Written by Jerry Spinelli, STARGIRL is about a girl who is different. She’s quirky, magical, and for sure marches to the beat of her own drum. My daughter and I listened to it on Audible together, and she fell in love with the story, too.

Well, Disney got a hold of the book, and On March 13th, STARGIRL will be streaming on Disney+! We can not wait to see it!

And guess what? I’ve been holding on to a secret. Back in 2018, I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit the set of STARGIRL! I was able to meet the stars of the film, including Grace VanderWaal who plays the title character!

Grace VanderWaal is STARGIRL

I couldn’t wait to see who would play the role of STARGIRL. She’s such an interesting character with lots of talents including the ability to play the ukulele and stand out in a crowd without being obnoxious. Grace VanderWaal is the perfect actress for the role.

This movie is VanderWaal’s first acting job, and I can’t imagine one that would be more perfect for her. When she walked into our interview room on set, she was so poised and bright!

We asked Grace about the movie and what she wants young girls to take from it.

She says, “There are so many “be yourself” sort of films and books and everything out there. If it were really that easy to just be yourself, no one would never have a problem with it. What’s cool about this film is it shows how, when you start caring about someone and loving someone, how you would sacrifice your happiness for theirs.”

Grace goes on to say, “I hope that the message that comes out of this is beyond be yourself but understand that your happiness is most important and your self care is most important.”

I mean, who doesn’t want to see a movie like that?

Being a mom makes the fact that STARGIRL is coming to the screen even more exciting for me! The book really encourages kids to be authentically who they are, but doesn’t sugarcoat what comes along with that. It also subtly addresses bullying and what it means to be kind and accepting.

I’ll share more about my set visit soon. Until then, check out the STARGIRL trailer and put March 13th on your calendar for its premiere on Disney+!

From the studio:

“Stargirl” from Disney+ is a tender and offbeat coming-of-age story based on the critically-acclaimed, New York Times’ best-selling young adult novel about an unassuming high schooler who finds himself inexplicably drawn to the free-spirited new girl, whose unconventional ways change how they see themselves…and their world.

Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of the school’s marching band and has always been content flying under the radar. But all that changes when he meets Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a confident and colorful new student with a penchant for the ukulele, who stands out in a crowd.

She is kind, finds magic in the mundane and touches the lives of others with the simplest of gestures. Her eccentricities and infectious personality charm Leo and the student body, and she quickly goes from being ignored and ridiculed to accepted and praised, then back again, sending Leo on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

A celebration of individuality, kindness and the power of the human spirit, “Stargirl” is directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay by Kristin Hahn and Julia Hart & Jordan Horowitz based on the novel by Jerry Spinelli.

The film stars singer/songwriter Grace VanderWaal in her film debut, Graham Verchere, Karan Brar, Maximiliano Hernandez, Darby Stanchfield and Giancarlo Esposito. “Stargirl” is produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, p.g.a., Lee Stollman, p.g.a., and Kristin Hahn, p.g.a., with Jordan Horowitz, Jim Powers, Jerry Spinelli, Eddie Gamarra, Catherine Hardwicke and Jonathan Levin as executive producers.