ALA Booklist (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 1993)

Mar{¡}ia Isabel doesn't like her new school. She is used to being called Mar{¡}ia Isabel Salazar Lopez, but because there are two other Mar{¡}ias in her room, the teacher calls her Mary, a name Mar{¡}ia Isabel forgets to answer to, annoying the teacher no end. It is only when Mar{¡}ia Isabel is assigned the composition topic My Greatest Wish that the teacher finally finds out how much the girl misses her name. Not much really happens in this translation from the Spanish, but the short story is pleasant enough, and since it's still uncommon to have a Latina heroine, a place can be made for this on library shelves. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings. (Reviewed June 1993)

Horn Book

On María Isabel's first day at her new school, her teacher decides to call her Mary, because there are already two other Marías in the class. Unable to recognize her new name when called upon, María is both frustrated and discouraged. The teacher is brought to understand the girl's sadness through an essay she writes, entitled 'My Greatest Wish.' Illustrated with black-and-white drawings, the story is believable, engaging, and accessible to readers.

Kirkus Reviews

When Mara Isabel Salazar Lpez's family moves, there are already two Maras in her new class, so the teacher decides to call her Mary Lpez. Since she doesn't readily recognize this new name, Mara Isabel is continually scolded for being inattentive; worse, her pride in being named for her grandmothers is dishonored. Mara Isabel's reluctance to assert her wish to be called by her full name involves her in an apparent web of deception when she doesn't get a part in a pageant (she doesn't recognize her name when the teacher is assigning roles) but lets her parents believe she'll participate. Fortunately, an essay assignment provides a solution: she finds the courage to write that her ``greatest wish is to be called Mara Isabel Salazar Lpez,'' clearly explaining her reasons; and her teacher responds generously to her plea. Cuban author Ada (The Gold Coin, 1991) captures the authentic flavor of Latino culture in this warm, yet never sentimental, story: an entire family genealogy is encapsulated in a Latino name, as well as special connections between its bearer and the relatives for whom she was named. Presented in realistic terms, Mara Isabel's struggles will ring true to many children in the US. Pair this with Barbara Cohen's Molly's Pilgrim (1983) for a fine multicultural comparison. (Fiction. 7-10)"

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4-- This gentle story tells of Maria Isabel Salazar Lopez, who finds herself dubbed Mary Lopez'' when her family moves and she is placed in a class with two other Marias. Maria Isabel finds it hard to respond to a name that does not seem like hers. Her teacher doesn't understand why it is so difficult for her to answer toMary'' until the child is inspired to address her paper on ``My Greatest Wish'' to the topic of her name. The result is not only a happy ending, but also an affirming study of heritage and how it is integrally bound up in an individual's sense of self. The brief text, adequately extended by line drawings, reads aloud well and could certainly be used in conjunction with Gary Soto's The Skirt (Delacorte, 1992) to illustrate the Hispanic culture that is part of the lives of many contemporary children. --Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA