Character Spotlight: Stella Díaz

by Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them staff

Hello, all, and happy Monday! Today, we’re kicking off day one of Stella Díaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez and we’re so, so excited to dive into this unforgettable book. Without further ado, let’s go ahead and meet the star of the show:

Stella Díaz

Name: Stella Díaz

Grade: Third

Home: Stella and her family moved from Mexico when Stella was a baby. Currently, they live in Chicago, Illinois.

Family: Stella loves her mother very, very much. She also has an older brother, Nick, who is stellar most of the time… but he does like to tease and joke with Stella on occasion.

Friends: Of all the people at her school, Stella’s best friend is Jenny. It’s been hard, though, given Jenny isn’t in the same class as Stella anymore, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make time to hang out and play tag together! Still, with news of a new girl joining her class, Stella hopes that she’ll find someone who she can relate to.

Pets: Stella has a betta fish named Pancho. While betta fish can be all sorts of colors, Pancho is mostly blue and prefers to be alone and quiet.

Likes: Stella loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. One of Stella’s favorite things to do is spend time with her Mom and brother. They’ll play cards together, and Stella and her mom often dance to salsa music on Friday nights.

Dislikes: Words can be hard sometimes, especially when you’re juggling multiple languages in your head. This often leads to Stella messing up her words - saying tomatoes instead of tornadoes, for instance. Stella is taking a class to help her, but she still gets nervous when speaking in front of her classmates because she’s been made fun of in the past.

Notable Quote: “I love Pancho, but I’m really glad I’m not a betta fish. I couldn’t be in a tank all by myself, without my family.”

Sweet Stella! Be sure to check out our next post featuring an interview with the author, Angela Dominguez. You’re always welcome to share photos with us of you and your family during the reading event on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking for a community to talk about your thoughts about Stella Díaz Has Something to Say? Don’t forget to fly over to Flipgrid to share them with your peers. Be well, all, and happy reading!