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First Person Fiction: Call Me Maria
A new novel from the award-winning author of AN ISLAND LIKE YOU, winner of the Pura Belpre Award.
Maria is a girl caught between two Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she now lives in a basement apartment in the barrio. While her mother remains on the island, Maria lives with her father, the super of their building. As she struggles to lose her island accent, Maria does her best to find her place within the unfamiliar culture of the barrio. Finally, with the Spanglish of the barrio people ringing in her ears, she finds the poet within herself.
In lush prose and spare, evocative poetry, Cofer weaves a powerful novel, bursting with life and hope.
Maria is a girl caught between two Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she now lives in a basement apartment in the barrio. While her mother remains on the island, Maria lives with her father, the super of their building. As she struggles to lose her island accent, Maria does her best to find her place within the unfamiliar culture of the barrio. Finally, with the Spanglish of the barrio people ringing in her ears, she finds the poet within herself.
In lush prose and spare, evocative poetry, Cofer weaves a powerful novel, bursting with life and hope.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2004
60 people are currently reading
880 people want to read
About the author
Judith Ortiz Cofer
44 books109 followersJudith Ortiz Cofer (born in 1952) is a Puerto Rican author. Her work spans a range of literary genres including poetry, short stories, autobiography, essays, and young-adult fiction.
Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, on February 24, 1952. She moved to Paterson, New Jersey with her family in 1956. They often made back-and-forth trips between Paterson and Hormigueros. In 1967, her family moved to Augusta, Georgia, where she attended Butler High School. Ortiz Cofer received a B.A. in English from Augusta College, and later an M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University.
Ortiz Cofer's work can largely be classified as creative nonfiction. Her narrative self is strongly influenced by oral storytelling, which was inspired by her grandmother, an able storyteller in the tradition of teaching through storytelling among Puerto Rican women. Ortiz Cofer's autobiographical work often focuses on her attempts at negotiating her life between two cultures, American and Puerto Rican, and how this process informs her sensibilities as a writer. Her work also explores such subjects as racism and sexism in American culture, machismo and female empowerment in Puerto Rican culture, and the challenges diasporic immigrants face in a new culture. Among Ortiz Cofer's more well known essays are "The Story of My Body" and "The Myth of the Latin Woman," both reprinted in The Latin Deli.
In 1984, Ortiz Cofer joined the faculty of the University of Georgia, where she is currently Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing. In April 2010, Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.
In 1994, she became the first Hispanic to win the O. Henry Prize for her story “The Latin Deli”. In 1996, Ortiz Cofer and illustrator Susan Guevara became the first recipients of the Pura Belpre Award for Hispanic children’s literature.
(from Wikipedia)
Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, on February 24, 1952. She moved to Paterson, New Jersey with her family in 1956. They often made back-and-forth trips between Paterson and Hormigueros. In 1967, her family moved to Augusta, Georgia, where she attended Butler High School. Ortiz Cofer received a B.A. in English from Augusta College, and later an M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University.
Ortiz Cofer's work can largely be classified as creative nonfiction. Her narrative self is strongly influenced by oral storytelling, which was inspired by her grandmother, an able storyteller in the tradition of teaching through storytelling among Puerto Rican women. Ortiz Cofer's autobiographical work often focuses on her attempts at negotiating her life between two cultures, American and Puerto Rican, and how this process informs her sensibilities as a writer. Her work also explores such subjects as racism and sexism in American culture, machismo and female empowerment in Puerto Rican culture, and the challenges diasporic immigrants face in a new culture. Among Ortiz Cofer's more well known essays are "The Story of My Body" and "The Myth of the Latin Woman," both reprinted in The Latin Deli.
In 1984, Ortiz Cofer joined the faculty of the University of Georgia, where she is currently Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing. In April 2010, Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.
In 1994, she became the first Hispanic to win the O. Henry Prize for her story “The Latin Deli”. In 1996, Ortiz Cofer and illustrator Susan Guevara became the first recipients of the Pura Belpre Award for Hispanic children’s literature.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 16, 2009
Call Me Maria is a great story about a Puerto Rican girl who moves to New York with a father that was born there. The vignettes flow together well, creating a story told in three ways. Short stories tell the story of her active life, poetry reveals her insights, feelings, and transformations, and letters to her mother keep a dialogue alive between her old self and her new self.
The book creatively discusses identity issues with a range of complex characters. Her father, originally born in the New York barrio, hated the island that he thought was supposed to be his home. Her mother, born in Puerto Rico, refuses to leave. Maria simply doesn’t know what to think, but she enjoys her time spent in New York and immerses herself in the people and culture.
Language also becomes an important theme. The teacher tells her that she is a poet, and she diligently tries to understand the beauty of Spanish, English, and Spanglish - the language of her father and her barrio neighbors.
This is a book with many great characters, each with their own story and struggle. It paints an excellent picture of multicultural New York, where a million other foreign homes aren’t that far away.
The book creatively discusses identity issues with a range of complex characters. Her father, originally born in the New York barrio, hated the island that he thought was supposed to be his home. Her mother, born in Puerto Rico, refuses to leave. Maria simply doesn’t know what to think, but she enjoys her time spent in New York and immerses herself in the people and culture.
Language also becomes an important theme. The teacher tells her that she is a poet, and she diligently tries to understand the beauty of Spanish, English, and Spanglish - the language of her father and her barrio neighbors.
This is a book with many great characters, each with their own story and struggle. It paints an excellent picture of multicultural New York, where a million other foreign homes aren’t that far away.
November 18, 2015
I thought the language in the book was lovely and I enjoyed Cofer's poetic style. I enjoyed reading the snippets of the character's lives, but I didn't feel that any of the characters were developed fully, which made it difficult to be invested in the story. I would recommend this book to students who are interested in the experience of adjusting to life in a different country or who enjoy poetry.
November 13, 2011
In this novel, Call Me Maria, written in letters, poems, and prose, Judith Ortiz Cofer offers a look into the life of a Puerto Rican immigrant as she adjusts to life in the United States with her father while her mother stays back on the island. The theme of belonging is quite present throughout Maria’s struggle to leave her old life behind and take the steps to build a new life for herself in the United States. She is at first sad to leave her country, but soon discovers that home is what you make it. Her exploration of her identity from “Maria Triste” and “Maria Alegre” to simply “Maria” symbolizes her transition from a child to an independent young woman, while still showing that distress is present no matter what age a person is. Complete with funny, witty poems about subjects in her school and her own feelings about herself and who she wants to be and full of memorable characters, like the defiant Whoopee and the love sick Uma, this novel is a fun and touching read that leaves an impression on the reader’s heart.
Cofer’s use of various literary styles is particularly interesting because it not only shows insight into how creative the character of Maria is, but also how creative Cofer herself is. I would teach this story to my students because it would give them the incentive not to be afraid of living in a new place, and that even though it might not turn out like it was expected to, one can still have a good life. I also would teach it to get my students in the habit of coming up with fun ways about how to learn. Maria uses poems, rhymes, and songs to help her learn, and I would encourage my students to do the same. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the struggles that immigrants face when coming to a different country or any place different from their homeland.
Cofer’s use of various literary styles is particularly interesting because it not only shows insight into how creative the character of Maria is, but also how creative Cofer herself is. I would teach this story to my students because it would give them the incentive not to be afraid of living in a new place, and that even though it might not turn out like it was expected to, one can still have a good life. I also would teach it to get my students in the habit of coming up with fun ways about how to learn. Maria uses poems, rhymes, and songs to help her learn, and I would encourage my students to do the same. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the struggles that immigrants face when coming to a different country or any place different from their homeland.
November 16, 2011
“When she leaves Puerto Rico to move to New York with her father, Maria can't be an island girl any longer. Now she has to figure out how to be a barrio girl” (3). Call Me Marie bridges the gap between cultures and countries, Puerto Rico (where she was born) and New York, where she must learn to adapt culturally and socially to her new environment. Maria’s search for self-identity rings clear throughout this novel as she deals with the transition of moving to a state that lacks the exotic and free air of her hometown. She tries to disconnect herself from the American culture, but in the end, she realizes her Spanglish is her only way of communication with her “new world”. Maria learns overtime that she can still overcome trials that she faces in America while keeping her “roots in tact”.
The book is creatively written in three forms: letters, poems, and prose. Although I find it intriguing, I feel like it would be best taught in an ELL classroom. I would recommend this book for 6-8th grade students because self-identity is something that is constantly being questioned as students change physically and mentally. This book not only enlightens students about their own culture and how others adapt in the United States, but also demonstrates how poetry can be used as an outlet of expression. I found it to be similar to House on Mango Street by Cisneros, and I would recommend this book to accompany this novel.
The book is creatively written in three forms: letters, poems, and prose. Although I find it intriguing, I feel like it would be best taught in an ELL classroom. I would recommend this book for 6-8th grade students because self-identity is something that is constantly being questioned as students change physically and mentally. This book not only enlightens students about their own culture and how others adapt in the United States, but also demonstrates how poetry can be used as an outlet of expression. I found it to be similar to House on Mango Street by Cisneros, and I would recommend this book to accompany this novel.
August 4, 2008
Fifteen-year-old Maria is living in the New York City barrio with her father in order to get an American education, while her mother remains at home in Puerto Rico. As Maria learns what it means to be Puerto Rican in America, she must also decide which world she wants to belong to, which parent she wants to stay with.
I'd never read anything of Cofer's before. This story is told in verse, letters, and diary entries. I love the way Cofer writes! Her poetry has some wonderful images. Warning to those who don't know Spanish: she does sprinkle in Spanish words and sentences, sometimes with no translation. I've studied Spanish, so it was no problem for me. Her description of barrio life and culture makes me want to go there and see it for myself. I especially like the poem entitled "The Papi-lindo, Fifth Floor." I had to read it aloud for the sound of the words and the images. I suspect this story has autobiographical elements, as Cofer herself was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New Jersey as a child. I will definitely be reading more by her and ordering her books for my library!
I'd never read anything of Cofer's before. This story is told in verse, letters, and diary entries. I love the way Cofer writes! Her poetry has some wonderful images. Warning to those who don't know Spanish: she does sprinkle in Spanish words and sentences, sometimes with no translation. I've studied Spanish, so it was no problem for me. Her description of barrio life and culture makes me want to go there and see it for myself. I especially like the poem entitled "The Papi-lindo, Fifth Floor." I had to read it aloud for the sound of the words and the images. I suspect this story has autobiographical elements, as Cofer herself was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New Jersey as a child. I will definitely be reading more by her and ordering her books for my library!
July 15, 2009
I really enjoyed the author's use of language in this book. It didn't feel forced or overly flowery, but she used wonderful descriptions throughout the book.
Maria, like many adolescents, is trying to find out who she is. She's torn between being the Puerto Rican island girl and adjusting to her new life as a New Yorker in the barrio. I felt that the author did a great job of exploring the conflict Maria feels through Maria's own poems and writings. Maria associates much of her identity with the language she speaks. She is slowly letting go of her island accent and is learning to embrace not only English, but Spanglish, the Spanish-English slang hybrid language spoken in the barrio.
This book would be an excellent tool to teach the cultural importance of language, identity construction, multiculturalism, and any number of literary concepts. The structure was easy to understand and quick to read, and reminded me in many ways of The House on Mango Street, which I also loved.
Maria, like many adolescents, is trying to find out who she is. She's torn between being the Puerto Rican island girl and adjusting to her new life as a New Yorker in the barrio. I felt that the author did a great job of exploring the conflict Maria feels through Maria's own poems and writings. Maria associates much of her identity with the language she speaks. She is slowly letting go of her island accent and is learning to embrace not only English, but Spanglish, the Spanish-English slang hybrid language spoken in the barrio.
This book would be an excellent tool to teach the cultural importance of language, identity construction, multiculturalism, and any number of literary concepts. The structure was easy to understand and quick to read, and reminded me in many ways of The House on Mango Street, which I also loved.
July 2, 2009
Call Me Maria is about a girl trying to find herself and her voice. Maria is from the island of Puerto Rico and lives there with her mother and father. When Maria’s father decides that he wants to move back to his home in the New York barrio, Maria must make a decision about who she is going to live with. Maria decides that she will go with her father and “explore a new world, conquer English and become strong.” Once Maria is in the barrio, she realizes that this new world is not what she expected, as she is trapped in a basement apartment in a cold world. Maria begins to write poems to help her find her place in her new world. Through the people she meets, the mother she loves and the island she never forgets she begins to figure out who she is. This novel would be an excellent choice in a middle school or high school classroom. Call Me Maria could easily be integrated into a unit about culture or language.
November 25, 2017
A book about a girl named Maria who chose to move to New York with her father leaving her island of Puerto Rico, her beloved home, behind along with her mother. Call Me Maria is eloquently written in letters to her mother and journal entries in prose briefly describing her life in Puerto Rico before she moved calling herself Maria Alegre, and then chronicling her life in the barrios of New York as she tries to fit in. A great read that teaches how although someone maybe the same race, they can be culturally different depending if they grew up on the island or in the states. I recommend this book for children in grades 4th and up.
August 28, 2007
This book is a fabulous read for people who know some Spanish. It accounts for the emotions of a recent immigrant entering the North American educational system. It gives insight into the barrio life as well as a comparison to life in the country Maria came from, Puerto Rico. Written in prose, poetry, letters and brief summaries. Great for mini-lessons and read alouds.
January 1, 2011
Even though “Call Me Maria” was a short book, it was a compelling read. Maria is a young girl who was born in Puerto Rico, and is obligated to move with her father to New York due to the depression that he was going through since he longed to go back to the place that he truly considered home. Maria’s mother continues to live in Puerto Rico and did not want to move because she was happy living in her homeland and didn’t want to lose her job, in which she is very compassionate about. This book is formatted into a sequence of poems and letters, that Maria sends to her mother and some that she keeps for herself and does not want to share with anyone. Throughout the story, Maria’s insightful poetry really contributes to creating a vivid depiction of how she feels. Although, sometimes Maria just writes letters to her mother and focuses on the happiness in her life rather then how she is really feeling at the moment. This is because she wants to avoid her mother worrying about her and pitying her. As time goes on, Maria definitely grows into a person who is very much changed from when she and her parents lived together in Puerto Rico. She learns about American language and customs, develops new ways of thinking, new friends and new interests and eventually settles into her life.
This book reminded me of “A House on Mango Street” due to how Maria adjusts to being bilingual and combines both cultures that she was exposed to.
This book reminded me of “A House on Mango Street” due to how Maria adjusts to being bilingual and combines both cultures that she was exposed to.
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November 16, 2011Call Me Maria
By Judith Ortiz Cofer
The multicultural novel Call Me Maria is based on a fifteen-year-old girl that is living in New York with her father. Maria is Puerto Rican and her mother is staying in Puerto Rico while Maria is in New York in order to receive an American education. This is a novel where a young girl is attempting to choose between living an American life and staying true to her Puerto Rican roots. Not only is this a lifestyle decision, but it is a family choice as well because Maria is also deciding which parent she would rather live with. Although she is attempting to decide her life path she will always be bound to both lifestyles. Maria living with her father in New York and her mother that keeps in touch with her through letters which forces her to retreat back to her native culture. The author writes this novel in a variety of ways such as: in regular text, letters, poetry and diary form. Cofer’s writing styles provide informative text yet still allows for a more personal touch with the poetry and diary aspects. The poetry that is included in this novel is incredible with the visuals it offers to the story. This novel provides insight into issues most do not look into in a young girl’s life. I would suggest this to students who have not yet had insight to this type of lifestyle or to students who have looking for a novel to relate to.
By Judith Ortiz Cofer
The multicultural novel Call Me Maria is based on a fifteen-year-old girl that is living in New York with her father. Maria is Puerto Rican and her mother is staying in Puerto Rico while Maria is in New York in order to receive an American education. This is a novel where a young girl is attempting to choose between living an American life and staying true to her Puerto Rican roots. Not only is this a lifestyle decision, but it is a family choice as well because Maria is also deciding which parent she would rather live with. Although she is attempting to decide her life path she will always be bound to both lifestyles. Maria living with her father in New York and her mother that keeps in touch with her through letters which forces her to retreat back to her native culture. The author writes this novel in a variety of ways such as: in regular text, letters, poetry and diary form. Cofer’s writing styles provide informative text yet still allows for a more personal touch with the poetry and diary aspects. The poetry that is included in this novel is incredible with the visuals it offers to the story. This novel provides insight into issues most do not look into in a young girl’s life. I would suggest this to students who have not yet had insight to this type of lifestyle or to students who have looking for a novel to relate to.
March 29, 2010
Call Me Maria
Judith Ortiz Cofer
Scholastic Inc., 2004, 127 pages, $6.99
Family, social issues, multicultural
ISBN 0-439-38578-4
Maria is a young girl who's life is torn apart and she is forced to grow up and decide what is best for her. Her parents separate from each other early in the novel and from the get go, Maria is forced to choose which parent to live with. Maria chooses to go with her father to New York, leaving her mother in Puerto Rico, so that she can get an American education. For being only 15 years old, she is very adult and forces herself to be independent. Once in New York, her father works constantly and begins a social life of his own. Maria keeps in touch with her mother via letters. Through the letters and encouragement from her teachers, Maria explores her love and talent for writing. The book is written not only in the traditional form, but also with poems and letters. Because of the variety of text forms in the novel, I would use this book in my classroom. The book also teaches the important lesson of being yourself and making mature decisions at a young age. If you like this book, I would recommend The House on Mango Street by Cisneros. They are written about similar topics and both are told with a poetic tone.
Judith Ortiz Cofer
Scholastic Inc., 2004, 127 pages, $6.99
Family, social issues, multicultural
ISBN 0-439-38578-4
Maria is a young girl who's life is torn apart and she is forced to grow up and decide what is best for her. Her parents separate from each other early in the novel and from the get go, Maria is forced to choose which parent to live with. Maria chooses to go with her father to New York, leaving her mother in Puerto Rico, so that she can get an American education. For being only 15 years old, she is very adult and forces herself to be independent. Once in New York, her father works constantly and begins a social life of his own. Maria keeps in touch with her mother via letters. Through the letters and encouragement from her teachers, Maria explores her love and talent for writing. The book is written not only in the traditional form, but also with poems and letters. Because of the variety of text forms in the novel, I would use this book in my classroom. The book also teaches the important lesson of being yourself and making mature decisions at a young age. If you like this book, I would recommend The House on Mango Street by Cisneros. They are written about similar topics and both are told with a poetic tone.
February 2, 2009
Call Me Maria is a culturally specific fictional text that illustrates the experience of a Puerto Rican female, Maria, who struggles to make a strange American city her home. Maria’s parents have separated because of her father’s pull to his home in New York where he is surrounded by other Puerto Rican Americans. Her mother, an island Puerto Rican, remains behind but keeps Maria bound to her native land and language through letters.
Award winning author, Judith Ortiz Cofer beautifully patches together this story through poems, letters and prose all told through Maria’s young eyes. On page 36 Maria speaks of her dilemma, “I have the colors of the Island tattooed inside the walls of my head. And that is one of the ways that Island and the mainland Puerto Ricans are not exactly the same, we carry different Islas inside us, yet it is the same Island that we love, and we love it in the same way.”
I would recommend this novel as a must-have for any multicultural literature collection. It can provide enjoyment and illuminate the human experience as well as by offering varying perspectives.
Award winning author, Judith Ortiz Cofer beautifully patches together this story through poems, letters and prose all told through Maria’s young eyes. On page 36 Maria speaks of her dilemma, “I have the colors of the Island tattooed inside the walls of my head. And that is one of the ways that Island and the mainland Puerto Ricans are not exactly the same, we carry different Islas inside us, yet it is the same Island that we love, and we love it in the same way.”
I would recommend this novel as a must-have for any multicultural literature collection. It can provide enjoyment and illuminate the human experience as well as by offering varying perspectives.
November 21, 2017
Call Me Maria By Judith Ortiz Cofer
It is a beautiful day even in this barrio, I am almost unhappy" This quote shows how Maria begins to feel sad and lonely throughout the book in her lonely barrio without her mom . What I would personality rate call me Maria would be 5 stars because the book is so amazing and interested to me as Maria young teenage girl who is separated from her mom and stays with her father to go to high school and possibly college. As later Maria begins to feel better when she and her mother sends letters to each other for some mother to daughter communication while apart from each other.
In conclusion I personally belief "Call me Maria" is an amazing book and you should check it out sometime than you would get the concept and ideas and why I liked it.
It is a beautiful day even in this barrio, I am almost unhappy" This quote shows how Maria begins to feel sad and lonely throughout the book in her lonely barrio without her mom . What I would personality rate call me Maria would be 5 stars because the book is so amazing and interested to me as Maria young teenage girl who is separated from her mom and stays with her father to go to high school and possibly college. As later Maria begins to feel better when she and her mother sends letters to each other for some mother to daughter communication while apart from each other.
In conclusion I personally belief "Call me Maria" is an amazing book and you should check it out sometime than you would get the concept and ideas and why I liked it.
April 1, 2016
This book was about a girl named Maria who lived in an island with her mom and dad.Her dad did not want to want to live in the island; he wanted to live in his hometown the barrio.Marias mom and dad were not getting along so well and her dad went to live in the barrio and toke Maria with him.I liked this book a lot because it showed Marias true feelings through her poems.I also really enjoyed it because it showed the letter that Maria wrote to her mom and the letters that Marias mom wrote to her.I would recommend this book to a person who like books that have poems in them and the perspective of other people which in this case is Marias mom.I would also recommend this book to someone who like books that have poems and but still have a story behind it.
May 12, 2016
I really like Maria, caring more and more about her story with each entry-a poem, a letter, a journal. The poem about her friend is lovely, "Picture of Whoopee": "She stalks and pounces on life, takes steps two at a time." I look forward to sharing this with students.
April 2, 2020
Poetry:
Call Me Maria is a mix of poetry and narrative that is written from the point of view of young Maria who is from Puerto Rico and moves to New York City with her father. Maria's mother is a teacher and loves their Island so she could not go with Maria and Papi to New York City. Maria makes the brave decision at a young age to leave her home and find her place in a new country, where she will have a better opportunity and can further her education. Maria tells us of her dreams, fears and hopes for her life, mother and father. The reader gathers many details of Maria's life from her poems that are woven into the narrative and can feel what Maria's heart feels. We learn of traditions, language, food and dances that make Maria who she is and tie her back to her beloved Island. Maria refuses to let any obstacles stand in her way and grows through the cracks of the New York sidewalk just like a flower. The first way to use this in my future classroom is to have students analyze the poems in the book. Students will analyze the structure of the poems for verse, rhythm and meter. Students will be asked to write a poem that follows the structure of one of Maria's poems and details a tradition that is unique to their family or culture. Additionally, students will engage in comparing point of views. This book is a great example of a first person narrative and will serve as a basis for what type of language is used in a first person narrative compared to that of third person narratives. Students will be asked to write a short personal narrative in first person using Call Me Maria as a reference for the types of pronouns and language that is used. These things may include using language or dialects that students normally do, not necessarily writing in academic language. Both of these activities can be used to better understand cultures in our own classroom and end results will be shared with peers and discussed either in small groups or whole class.
Call Me Maria is WOW book for me because I normally do not enjoy poetry, but the author found a create and meaningful way to incorporate poetry that caught my attention from the first chapter. I found myself getting sucked into the stories that Maria was telling and picturing in detail each place that she described. I admire Maria for believing in herself, staying true to both her Island and New York values and being proud of her dual language skills instead of hiding these things. This is great book that tells a story from a perspective we don't often see and uses poetry to enhance its delivery.
Call Me Maria is a mix of poetry and narrative that is written from the point of view of young Maria who is from Puerto Rico and moves to New York City with her father. Maria's mother is a teacher and loves their Island so she could not go with Maria and Papi to New York City. Maria makes the brave decision at a young age to leave her home and find her place in a new country, where she will have a better opportunity and can further her education. Maria tells us of her dreams, fears and hopes for her life, mother and father. The reader gathers many details of Maria's life from her poems that are woven into the narrative and can feel what Maria's heart feels. We learn of traditions, language, food and dances that make Maria who she is and tie her back to her beloved Island. Maria refuses to let any obstacles stand in her way and grows through the cracks of the New York sidewalk just like a flower. The first way to use this in my future classroom is to have students analyze the poems in the book. Students will analyze the structure of the poems for verse, rhythm and meter. Students will be asked to write a poem that follows the structure of one of Maria's poems and details a tradition that is unique to their family or culture. Additionally, students will engage in comparing point of views. This book is a great example of a first person narrative and will serve as a basis for what type of language is used in a first person narrative compared to that of third person narratives. Students will be asked to write a short personal narrative in first person using Call Me Maria as a reference for the types of pronouns and language that is used. These things may include using language or dialects that students normally do, not necessarily writing in academic language. Both of these activities can be used to better understand cultures in our own classroom and end results will be shared with peers and discussed either in small groups or whole class.
Call Me Maria is WOW book for me because I normally do not enjoy poetry, but the author found a create and meaningful way to incorporate poetry that caught my attention from the first chapter. I found myself getting sucked into the stories that Maria was telling and picturing in detail each place that she described. I admire Maria for believing in herself, staying true to both her Island and New York values and being proud of her dual language skills instead of hiding these things. This is great book that tells a story from a perspective we don't often see and uses poetry to enhance its delivery.
February 27, 2018
Essential. Lyrical. Poignant.
November 16, 2011
Amy Freeman
ENGL 3391
YA Book Review 2
Call Me Maria
“I am almost not unhappy, I am a different Maria, no longer the Maria Alegre who was born on a tropical island,” confides Maria to us (2). Call Me Maria is a wonderful story that is told through a unique manner of letters, poetry and prose. She tells the story of her transition from her mother’s native soil of Puerto Rico to her father’s concrete barrio in New York City. Maria leaves her beautiful tropical island to go with her father and live in the city because he has been fighting a losing battle with depression. He needs his Maria Alegre and he needs to feel the concrete and snow beneath his feet. The city though, becomes a prison for Maria Alegre and she finds herself transformed into her father’s disease; she becomes Maria Triste. Through this transition, Call Me Maria becomes a coming of age story where Maria must define her identity from within and not base her self-identity on her surroundings.
This story is so beautifully portrayed and I would definitely recommend it for me students. I would also incorporate it into my classroom to start each day off. A poem a day, a letter a day, some prose for the day. I would begin each day with a new concept of the book so that I can teach a new appreciation for the beauty that is found both within joy and sorrow. Call Me Maria is rich in life lessons and identifies the strength that is within all of us to pull ourselves up and to overcome, the trick is though, finding the courage to look deeply inside of ourselves and being willing to face what is reflected to us and pick ourselves up and carry on with each new day.
ENGL 3391
YA Book Review 2
Call Me Maria
“I am almost not unhappy, I am a different Maria, no longer the Maria Alegre who was born on a tropical island,” confides Maria to us (2). Call Me Maria is a wonderful story that is told through a unique manner of letters, poetry and prose. She tells the story of her transition from her mother’s native soil of Puerto Rico to her father’s concrete barrio in New York City. Maria leaves her beautiful tropical island to go with her father and live in the city because he has been fighting a losing battle with depression. He needs his Maria Alegre and he needs to feel the concrete and snow beneath his feet. The city though, becomes a prison for Maria Alegre and she finds herself transformed into her father’s disease; she becomes Maria Triste. Through this transition, Call Me Maria becomes a coming of age story where Maria must define her identity from within and not base her self-identity on her surroundings.
This story is so beautifully portrayed and I would definitely recommend it for me students. I would also incorporate it into my classroom to start each day off. A poem a day, a letter a day, some prose for the day. I would begin each day with a new concept of the book so that I can teach a new appreciation for the beauty that is found both within joy and sorrow. Call Me Maria is rich in life lessons and identifies the strength that is within all of us to pull ourselves up and to overcome, the trick is though, finding the courage to look deeply inside of ourselves and being willing to face what is reflected to us and pick ourselves up and carry on with each new day.
November 5, 2008
This was really a lovely book. I know "lovely" is a cheesy word, but that's how it really feel. Graceful with a simple and delightful beauty. Through letters, poetry, and prose, we learn the story of Maria as she moves from Puerto Rico to New York City with her father, leaving behind her mother. What is beautiful about this book is not just the sincerity with which Maria confronts all of the changes in her life but the playfulness that she exhibits through her language. By the end of the book, she is masterfully trilingual in Spanish, English, and Spanglish. Her poems and her prose quickly betray the fact that she has the eyes and the tongue of a poet, and her ability to express herself in writing allows us to share in her daily experiences of an in-between/bicultural life.
It is a really easy read, but it might be hard for ESL 1 or ESL 2 because of the extensive vocabulary and Maria's playfulness with words. This is a fantastic text to teach descriptive language and poetic devices.
It is a really easy read, but it might be hard for ESL 1 or ESL 2 because of the extensive vocabulary and Maria's playfulness with words. This is a fantastic text to teach descriptive language and poetic devices.
June 26, 2015
This book comes fifth in my text set as it now moves into addressing diversity with respect to ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status. This story is about a girl named Maria caught between two worlds: Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she now lives in a basement apartment in the barrio. Maria was happy living in Puerto Rico but her father was not. He missed the barrio and so finally he bought a plane ticket to Ny. She was given a choice about whether to stay in PR or go to NY. She chose NY because she wanted an American college education so that she could become a teacher. While her mother remains on the island, Maria lives with her father, the super of their building. As she struggles to lose her island accent, Maria does her best to find her place within the unfamiliar culture of the barrio. Finally, with the Spanglish of the barrio people ringing in her ears, she finds the poet within herself. This book will resonate with many immigrants, including latino Americans who moved to NYC in order to receive a better education.
December 3, 2010
This book is about a girl named Maria who lived in Puerto Rico but moves to New York with her dad when she gets older. Maria is very confused in the middle of the book. Her parents are getting divorced. She lives in a basement with her dad in a apartment. She misses her mom like crazy. And the sun and the beach. She misses her life back in Puerto Rico. Maria tries to ignore everything and make the best out of things. As much as she wants to go back and live with her mother again shes scared what might happen to her dad if she leaves him like her mother did.
The book was ok. Its very different from the books I have read. I find it interesting reading a spanglish book. I got to admit it's fun reading a spanglish book, it makes the book kind of funny. It's cool reading a book like that. I also like the book because it's real problems that happens. I could relate to some parts of the book. And because of that i enjoyed reading it a little.
The book was ok. Its very different from the books I have read. I find it interesting reading a spanglish book. I got to admit it's fun reading a spanglish book, it makes the book kind of funny. It's cool reading a book like that. I also like the book because it's real problems that happens. I could relate to some parts of the book. And because of that i enjoyed reading it a little.
October 21, 2013
This novel would be most appropriate for grades 5-8. This novel depicts the struggles of a girl trying to find a belonging and identity while being caught between two worlds. Maria deals with struggles and hardships of moving to a new country with new cultures, but she also never felt like she fit in within her own culture. The push and pull of Maria’s parents to be the Puerto Rican that each parent has their own ideas is ultimately makes it harder for Maria to decide where her heart is. This novel is beautifully written in three forms, letters, poetry and prose. The carefully crafted development of the main character, Maria, through these three forms allows the reader to connect and visualize every aspect of Maria’s journey to find herself. This novel has the opportunity to be integrated into a language arts and social studies unit. There are themes of cultures, identity, family, and belonging.
May 18, 2016
Call Me Maria is awesome book about a young girl named Maria who moves to New York from Puerto Rico, with her father, who was born in New York. Maria has to deal with leaving her family, friends and everything she has ever known in Puerto Rico for new opportunities and an American education. Her mother doesn't move with them, as she has finally received her dream job as a teacher. The two exchange letters from time to time and the book features their conversations. Maria's mother and father ultimately separate because of the move and she has to deal with that along with adjusting to her new life in America, when she feels that the odds are against her.
I would use this book in my future classroom to talk about adjusting to a "new life", moving, or having your parents separate, which is common in today's society. Many of my students will be able to relate to this topic and book as they have personally experiences some of the same things that Maria does.
Word count: 176
I would use this book in my future classroom to talk about adjusting to a "new life", moving, or having your parents separate, which is common in today's society. Many of my students will be able to relate to this topic and book as they have personally experiences some of the same things that Maria does.
Word count: 176
March 18, 2009
This is a very intriguing novel. Telling the story through letters, poems, and prose makes for a very quick, easy, and enjoyable read. Maria’s inner struggle with finding her own identity coupled with the outward struggle with coping to new life in a place where everything is unfamiliar and she feels like an outsider is captivating. She is intelligent and “she knows more words than most of the native speakers,” yet her accent makes school a difficult place for her when all she ever wanted was an American Education. This is definitely a must read. As a future teacher it tells a story that many of the students in schools are currently a part of themselves. I recommend this book not only to the future educators but also to those who want a little glimpse into a world different from their own.
July 4, 2009
Judith Ortiz Cofer’s coming of age tale about a young Puerto Rican girl trying to find her roots in the world. Her mother is an Island Puerto Rican and her father is a Nuyorican (Puerto Rican who grew up in New York City). At times, the story is predictable when compared to other tales of growing up and making your way in the world. The greatest source of entertainment is the break of dialogues in which Maria Alegra shows us her feelings through poetry. Maria struggles between three languages or as she calls it, trilingual between Spanish, English, and Spanglish. Even with all of the knowledge, she still feels displaced, unsure of her familla role. This book would be a wonderful tool in a cultural studies unit and her poetry could be used in multiple ways to pair with other texts in the classroom.
October 27, 2011
Call Me Maria is contemporary fiction book by Judith Ortiz Cofer. I would give this book 3 stars from 5 because it get boring with because she keep repeating the same thing over and over, but what gives it a 3 is that it has small interesting poems describing what's happening around her. This book is about a girl named Maria who has to make a tough decision of either staying with her mother or her father. Her father who recently became depressed wants to go back to New York, but her mother who wants to stay in Puerto Rico to teach at a Catholic school. I would recommend this book to someone who knows a bit of Spanish or has a Spanish-English dictionary because there are a lot of Spanish words.
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February 4, 2016Living in Puerto Rico depresses Maria's father who grew up in New York City. Maria's mother however has a teaching job she loves on the isla she grew up on. Papi moves to Manhattan and Maria decides to go with him, to get an American education and improve her English. In Manhattan, Maria keeps busy with her studies, assisting her father who works as the super of their apartment building, and hanging out with best friends Uma and Whoopee. Through her poems, narration and letters to her mother, Maria describes being caught between the two worlds of Puerto Rico and America. Sometimes she's "Maria Alegre" and other times "Maria Triste." She observes, too, the Puertoriquenos who long for a land that they've never been to. And she sees her father blooming in the comfort of his native city.
March 5, 2009
When I read "Call Me Maria" it makes me wonder why can't Maria wait for spring to come? I can relate to the character because it's like somedays I want to leave my family and go live on my own but it's alway something holding me back.
At the end it make me wonder if Maria father passed away? My favorite part is when she is writing to her mother because she is telling her mother all the new thing she learned and because she is still show that she cares about her mom even thought she left. I love the author's style because she is trying to put her self in to Maria's shoes and she is trying to be the character.
At the end it make me wonder if Maria father passed away? My favorite part is when she is writing to her mother because she is telling her mother all the new thing she learned and because she is still show that she cares about her mom even thought she left. I love the author's style because she is trying to put her self in to Maria's shoes and she is trying to be the character.
October 19, 2008
I had some mixed feelings about this book. I liked parts of it and I think the poetry/prose combo was interesting but it sort of resulted in there being a lack of focus. This is story of Maria, a 15-year-old Puerto Rican who grew up on the island with her mom and now moved to the New York barrio to be with her dad. It's all about her finding her own Puerto Rican-American identity, an experience that I can sympathize with, but I still felt like the whole thing lacked depth sometimes. The whole time I wanted it to go to another level but it never quite got there.
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