Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez

How I Heard About It:  This fun title came to me via the publisher.  I had read a few reviews about the story so I knew a bit.  I was excited to read it.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Stella is a young girl who loves her life.  She is social, outgoing, and loves spending time with her best friend.

2.  *When a new school year begins, Stella is disappointed when she finds out Jenny, her best friend, is in another class.  


3.  *When a new boy arrives at school, Stella looks at this as a chance for a new friend and more excitement in her own life.  

4.  *Stella struggles with her English as her family has moved from Mexico to a suburb of Chicago.  She also makes mistakes with her Spanish.  Struggling with these two languages leads to a variety of difficulties for both Stella and her friends.

5.  *A big oral presentation is coming up in her class, and Stella is stressed, anxious, and worried.  She puts her mind to it and wants to conquer this presentation.  


What I Thought Of It:  This story was based on Angela's childhood growing up as a Mexican-American.  She was a spit-fire character and fun to read about.  I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters.  They added greatly to the story.  There wasn't a whole lot of action in the plot, but it was a sweet story about a young girl, her immigrant family, and the friends she surrounded herself with.  There was several important life-lessons strewn throughout the pages of the book.  I can see many young girls enjoying the story.  


Who Should Read It:  The audience for Angela's novel would be readers in grades three through six. If you have a Spanish speaking student, I know they would be able to relate to Stella's story and experience.  Female readers may be a better fit for this particular story. Happy Reading!  



Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars


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