A 9-year-old girl named Ella is extremely intelligent and gifted. She's new in town and after winning a school competition, her teacher suggests she enter a state competition. However, Ella's father is hesitant, wanting her to have a normal childhood.
Ella's grandmother, who is wealthy and influential, wants to take Ella under her wing and provide her with opportunities, but Ella's father is resistant, citing the pressure his late wife (Ella's mother) faced under her mother's guidance, which led to her depression and eventual death.
Despite his reservations, Ella's father meets with a Harvard professor who is impressed by Ella's abilities and wants to work with her. However, Ella's father remains hesitant, prioritizing her childhood over her intellectual pursuits.
Ultimately, Ella's grandmother convinces her father to let her attend a special school, but Ella surprises everyone by wanting to go somewhere else instead. The story ends with Ella and her father enjoying ice cream together, suggesting a more relaxed and normal approach to her upbringing.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Ella is a 9-year-old girl who is extremely intelligent and talented.
2. Ella has transferred to a new school and is doing exceptionally well.
3. Principal Stevens suggests that Ella should be put into a school for the gifted and talented.
4. Ella's father, Mr. Diaz, is hesitant to let her attend a special school and wants her to stay in her current class.
5. Ella's mother is not around, and her father is trying to take care of her on his own.
6. Ella's grandmother, Commander, is a wealthy and influential person who wants to take Ella under her wing and provide her with opportunities.
7. Ella's father is resistant to Commander's suggestions and wants to protect Ella from the pressure of being a child prodigy.
8. Ella's mother was also a child prodigy who graduated from Harvard at a young age but struggled with depression and eventually died.
9. Mr. Diaz promises to let Ella be a kid and not pressure her too much, as he did with her mother.
10. Ella meets with Professor Xavier, a Harvard math professor, who is impressed by her abilities and wants to work with her.
11. Ella's father is hesitant to let her participate in the summer program at Harvard, but eventually agrees to let her go.
12. Commander offers to help Ella attend the school, but Mr. Diaz is resistant to her help.
13. Ella wins a competition and is congratulated by her father and grandmother.
14. Ella's father agrees to let her attend the school, but Ella is hesitant and wants to go somewhere else instead.