Friday Reconnect: Week One

By Oliver Perry, Read to Them staff

Hello wonderful people! We hope you are enjoying your time with Stella Díaz Has Something To Say as much as we are. What has been your favorite moment? Your favorite character? Stella? Nick? Jenny? Stanley? Pancho!? Everyone is so fun and unique, we can’t decide! If you feel up to it, let us know on your Flipgrid page some of your favorite parts about the book after finishing Week One.

From the opening of the first chapter we feel welcomed into Stella’s family and can feel the importance food and cooking play in her family. Food can be the perfect window into someone’s culture, or family, as it’s something we all interact with!

Does your family have a meal that feels particularly special to you? What is a food that feels like home? This week’s activity is to make a recipe for that meal or experience. If cooking isn’t your jam you could opt to craft a recipe for something a little less tangible. For example, what is your recipe for a perfect Saturday morning? Or you could make a real recipe for your favorite snack! Feel free to use your own design for your recipe card, or you can use this template!

You know we wouldn’t leave you without some stellar writing prompts. Take a crack at the following prompts, and share your work with your Flipgrid Friends!

• If you could have any kind of fish as a pet, what fish would it be? A shark? A dolphin? A whale? Or something smaller, like Pancho the betta fish? Remember to describe what they would look like, what you would do with them and feed them. Don’t forget to give them a name!

• Is there a person you feel very comfortable with, like Stella does with Mom? Describe them in as much detail as you can muster. What do you feel like you can do around them that you can’t around others? Dance? Sing?

• Write a brief letter to one of your very best friends (or one of your very favorite people). Make sure to include what makes them special to you.

• Write about your favorite teacher. What makes them so great? Describe one or two examples of them being stellar teachers.

• Are you shy? Maybe only sometimes? Whether you are or not, come up with a short guide for being better at being confident. What are some tips for those moments when you’re feeling shy?

We encourage you to share your recipes & responses on the Flipgrid page, and if you’re talking about your read on social media, don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.