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>> So, hi.
I'm Angela Dominguez.
I'm an author and illustrator.
And I've worked on
quite a few books.
The book I'm going to talk today
about is the Stella Diaz series,
"Stella Diaz Never Gives
Up," which is the second.
And this was the first, "Stella
Diaz Has Something to Say."
And I am here in
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
with my little puppy, Petunia.
She's a Boston terrier-chihuahua
mix.
She's going to sit
out for most of it,
but maybe her head
will pop back in.
But, I currently
live in Virginia.
But I'm up in Pennsylvania
visiting my boyfriend's family.
And I'm so excited to be here.
So, today I'm going to
talk about specifically
"Stella Diaz Never Gives Up."
And this book is the second.
And when I was writing it,
I was originally thinking
like how do I continue
the Stella Diaz character?
And in the first book
she loves sea creatures.
And she has to do
a big presentation.
But it was very much based
off of my own experiences.
So, when I started thinking
about writing the second book,
I was thinking about,
okay, it's summertime.
She just finished third grade.
And this is a little
controversial,
but sometimes summer
can be a little boring.
Because when you're at
school you have somewhere
to go every single day.
And you have something
that you have to do.
And in summer, sometimes
your schedules are looser.
And if you're like Stella,
which is kind of like me,
you like to stay busy.
So, she decides, because
she loves sea creatures,
that she's going to continue
to study and learn about them.
And it turns out
she's also going to go
to the Shedd Aquarium summer
camp, which is in Chicago.
And so, as she's researching
more and more about the oceans,
she realizes that they are
in crisis in many ways.
But a big problem is
that there's too much
plastics in the ocean.
And so, she gets
very sad about it.
But she realizes that
with the help of some
of her club members, and
also her camp counselors,
that they can come up with
solutions that we all can do.
Which is like things that we
can do to cut back on plastics.
Simple, little things that
make a huge difference
if we all do it.
So, in the book there's
a pledge that they make.
And one of it is like to
use a tote bag instead
of plastic bags.
To use reusable straws
instead of a plastic straw.
To use a reusable
canister instead
of using like bottled water.
Or you know, just
trying to use it --
you know, you could put
juice in there, as well.
And also, if you're
ordering take-out
or you're taking
your lunch to go,
to use reusable silverware
instead.
And so, they come
up with this pledge.
And it's about Stella, who
is this character who is shy.
And in the first book she's
really finding her voice.
In the second book she's
still a little shy.
And she has to use these
conversation starters
to kind of help her.
Which are really just
fun facts that she shares
to start a conversation.
But it's about her
learning to become a leader
when maybe you don't have the
loudest voice in the room.
And so, it's about this
growth of this character
and this continuing
love of the oceans.
And it also still
has to do somewhat
with her trying to
fit in the world.
Because like Stella, I was
born in Mexico and grew
up in the United States.
And sometimes I stumbled with
my English and my Spanish.
And with this book,
she visits Mexico.
And she kind of has
that connection
of like what does it
mean to be Mexican?
What does it mean to
be Mexican-American?
So, there's a lot in this
book that I feel like a lot
of kids can relate to.
And we're seeing all
these wonderful activists
like Greta Thunberg,
who are really caring
about the environment.
And I wanted to show kids
that they can be part
of the solution in
their own way.
Whether they want to use the
pledge or whether they want
to do something about a cause
that they're super concerned
about, like protecting animals
in Australia from the wildfires.
So, more than anything, I just
hope this book inspires kids
to speak up for themselves.
And also be passionate
about something.
So, when I think about the theme
of the book festival, Ingenuity,
or American Ingenuity,
it's to me about coming
up with clever solutions,
original ideas.
And you know, to me it's
so important right now,
like whether we're speaking
about the environment,
like Stella is trying to
solve the problem there
with the plastics in the oceans.
Or is about getting
along with other people,
or whatever it might be,
this is a time where we need
that ingenuity to help
solve these big problems
that are affecting all of us.
And I think writing, reading
books, it's a great source
of where we can learn new ideas
or get sparks for new ideas
that can help us
with these problems.
So, I feel like it's
very timely.
So, the original seed or the
idea that sparked the idea
for this book was really just
a love of reading and writing.
Like, growing up I loved reading
Ramona and all these books
that were serious,
like "Babysitter Club."
And I always secretly
wanted to write a series.
So, when I thought about
continuing this character,
that really kind of
sparked the idea originally.
And then also, just as
I continued to read more
about the oceans, I realized
that there was so much more
that Stella could
talk about in a book.
So, there is definitely
specific inspiration for Stella.
It's a combination
of a few things.
First of all, a lot
of it is based off
of my own personal
experience growing up.
And having to take speech
classes and stumbling
with my English and my Spanish.
And feeling incredibly shy
and turning roja all the time,
which means red, or blushing.
And so, I came up with this
little character design
of a girl with curly
hair and polka dots.
And then I started thinking
about who is this girl?
And I started writing
her as someone being shy.
And as I realized that
it wasn't going to work
for a picture book, which
was my original idea.
And I started expanding
it as another story,
I understood what
it meant to be shy.
And that's when I
decided to put all
of my own personal experiences.
And of it was like
a little selfish,
was just like writing
what I felt
and how I experienced
growing up.
But as I continued
to write these books,
I realized how many kids
resonate with that character.
Whether they just know
someone who's like that.
Whether they're shy or
they're from somewhere else.
Or whether they are
personally like Stella,
where maybe they have
a speech problem.
Or maybe they're shy.
Or maybe they're stumbling
between two languages
and they don't have
their voice yet.
And I think that's been one
of the biggest things
I've enjoyed is going
to school visits and
seeing kids light
up when they hear
a word in Spanish.
Or they realize that
they're like Stella.
And they'll tell me
that either in private.
Or sometimes they raise their
hand in the presentation.
And then the teacher tells me
that they never raise
their hand.
But they got so excited
because they felt
like they were seen in the book.
The role that libraries have
played in my life is huge.
From being a little girl
and checking out books.
And you know, I grew
up in Texas.
And they would have
the Blue Bonnet List.
And I would try to read every
single book on that list.
And so, that sparked
my love of reading.
And then as an adult, I
continue to go as a place
of research and inspiration.
You can either discover
a new author that way
by going to the library.
And then you get hooked.
And you want to read
everything they do.
Or, for me, like when I've
gone to research for Stella,
usually the facts about
the oceans is kind
of what drives the story.
So, I might have basic ideas.
But when I go to the library,
what ends up happening is I
get every single book I can
on sea creatures or the oceans.
And then I find these facts
about particular
mammals or fishes.
And then I start thinking about
how they could be metaphors
for how Stella is feeling.
Like particularly with the
first book when I found
out that octopuses can escape
through a hole like 1 inch wide.
I thought about how
if I was, you know,
Stella was feeling
scared or nervous or shy,
how she would wish
she could escape
that easily, like an octopus.
So, the facts that I
learned from the books
from the library play a
huge role in my writing.
And I think it's just like --
it's such an incredible space
that every time I go in there I
get excited by the possibilities
of things I might find.
So, I think to anyone who
wants to be an author,
the biggest thing is to read.
Because reading gives you ideas.
It also teaches you
what makes a good story.
And I think anyone who wants to
write or if they want to draw,
too, its kind of the same to me.
It's just about doing it.
And don't be nervous
about getting it perfect
the first time you write it.
Like, I usually am so
embarrassed by my first draft
because I'm just putting
down everything onto paper.
But then I go back and edit it.
And that's when it starts
turning into something
that I become proud of,
that I want to show people.
So, it's about having no fear.
Just committing to it.
Trying. Because you
can always undo.
You can always take a piece
of paper, throw it away,
or delete your draft,
or create a new draft.
And find the joy in editing
it and making it better.
And then I think stories are
even better when you share.
So, if you can have a group that
you can share your stories with,
that can give you feedback,
that will help even more.
Because one person by
themselves only comes
up with a certain
amount of ideas.
But once you get input
from other people,
it gets even better.
Because every time I write a
new Stella I talk to my editor.
And she gives me so many
wonderful suggestions.
And then it sparks
even more ideas.
So, it's all about practice,
having fun with it, revising
and sharing your story.
Well, it was so good to
be here with all of you.
And thank you so
much for listening.
I hope you enjoy the
Stella Diaz books.
And Petunia, right here,
would like to say
goodbye before we go.
So, bye!
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