How Tia Lola Came to Stay – by Julia Alvarez

At the beginning of this story, Miguel and his sister and mother have moved from New York to Vermont. Are they happy?

In Vermont, Miguel looks different from his classmates. As a result, is it easy or hard for him to fit in?

Tia Lola looks different too. Does she have trouble fitting in?

Tia Lola’s voice is “impossible to resist: like three handfuls of chocolate chips, a can of Pringles, and Miguel’s favorite Spaghettios.” What do you think of that?!

Tia Lola often works her “magic” with food. Can you think of some of the foods she fixed and how people reacted after tasting them?

Is Tia Lola really magic? If not, how does she bring about all the changes around her?

Miguel “disappears” inside Tia Lola’s stories. Have you ever heard or read a story that made you forget who or where you are?

His father says Miguel should be proud of who he is. Are you proud of who you are?

When Miguel tries out for the baseball team, he hits a ball “far and high, all the power of Tia Lola’s Dominican cooking behind it and all the magic of her love behind that.” Does he make the team?

Miguel at first rejects the idea that “wishes might have their own way of coming true.” Do we always get just what we wish for? Could that be a good thing? Do we sometimes get something different or better than what we wished?