My Name Is Maria Isabel

by Alma Flor Ada

Book Overview

For Mar?a Isabel Salazar L?pez, the hardest thing about being the new girl in school is that the teacher doesn't call her by her real name. "We already have two Mar?as in this class," says her teacher. "Why don't we call you Mary instead?"
But Mar?a Isabel has been named for her Pap?'s mother and for Chabela, her beloved Puerto Rican grandmother. Can she find a way to make her teacher see that if she loses her name, she's lost the most important...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068980217X
• ISBN13: 9780689802171
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

My Review

Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada was a joyful book. It made me think of my sister. Maria Isabel has a hard time as school because the teacher called her a new name because her name was too long. I liked the book because it was a delightful book and it always had adventures. I would recommend this book to girls because she they would love this book.

Lots of great lessons in this book

My Name is María Isabel is the story of a little girl facing a difficult problem when she is forced to change schools mid-year. At her new school, her teacher decides to call her Mary because there are already two girls named María in the class. María Isabel does not want to be called Mary but she doesn't know how to tell her teacher. She consistently fails to respond when the teacher calls on her in class because she doesn't recognize Mary as her name. This leads to the teacher assuming that she does not want to participate in the school's Winter Pageant. When the teacher has the students write an essay titled, My Greatest Wish, María Isabel gets her chance to say how she feels. This book would be appropriate for ages 8 and 9. Children in this age group are beginning to develop empathy for others, and an understanding of right and wrong. Most children will be able to relate to facing a problem and not knowing what to do about it. I would use this book for a read-aloud in a school setting as part of a discussion about cultural sensitivity and awareness. I would also recommend it to kids to read for enjoyment. The artwork consists of black and white pencil or charcoal drawings placed sporadically throughout the text. The drawings are placed consistently with the text that they refer to and they are culturally accurate. The illustrator also added elements of María Isabel's thoughts into many of the pictures. For example, when María Isabel is reading Charlotte's Web and feeling as if she is caught her own spider's web, there is a drawing of her in bed reading with shadows of a spider's web on the wall behind her.

A Young Girl Arrives in a New City

Me Llamo María Isabel (My Name Is Maria Isabel) tells the story of a young girl who moved from Puerto Rico to New York City and how she seeks to adapt to her new society while retaining her cultural identity. On her first day of school, because there are already two girls named Maria in the class, María's teacher introduces the new girl as Mary Lopez. María Isabel, however, does not like the sound of the Anglo name, which sounds strange to her. María Isabel Salazar López is proud of her appellation, as she was named after much admired members of her family. She knows that the teacher means no harm, but does not know how to tell her what she wants. While reading Charlotte's Web, María Isabel realizes how her spider heroine conveyed her message and finds an ingenious way to tell her teacher and everyone else how she really feels.Alma Flor Ada tells a beautiful story about dignity without preaching. My only criticism is that, with other Latino and Latina students in her class, she could not have asked them to translate her desire to the teacher, or why María Isabel was not in a bilingual class. The story's central theme, though, is very real; this story is a gem and a great way to brush up on one's Spanish.

Ave Maria!

This book shows how not to be culturally insensitive. It is a bit on the serious side, but told in a very simple, straightforward way that will warm the hearts of all readers. The author is a brilliant storyteller who brings forth an important social issue. I strongly recommend this book to teachers. And then, if you want to have some fun, read DRUM, CHAVI, DRUM! to the class. MY NAME IS MARIA ISABEL is a Puerto Rican Story. DRUM, CHAVI, DRUM! is a Cuban story. These books, and a few others, represent the growing need for Latino literature in our country. It is about time that publishers wake up and realize that Latinos need books about our experiences in order to bring forth cultural understanding and pride in our cultures. I highly recommend ALL of Alma Flor Adas books. She is one of the greatest children book authors around.

Super Story for Teachers

I read this book in college as a part of a book club required by the school. I loved this book as soon as I read it. It can teach teachers how to be culturally sensative to all their students. A name is a very important possession to most of us. It is an only possession to some children. It is also good for those teachers who are stuck thinking that children "should just learn our language" when in reality it is a long process. I would like to recommend this book to those who are teaching children ESL and those regular classroom teachers who have ESL students in their rooms. I loved it!