Call Me Maria

Whoopee’s enthusiastic shouts outside the window encourage María to look outside and see her friend. María reflects on her friendship with Whoopee, declaring that she is “magic” (82).

On Christmas Eve, María opens a CD her mother sent with two pictures of her grandmother, Abuela. María inspects the photographs, noting what is similar and different about her grandmother’s features compared to María’s own. María feels that while she is not the same as her grandmother, she will have a good night with her new friends in New York.

In math class with Mr. C, María learns about fractions. As he talks, María poetically reflects on numbers and shapes in her life. She is somewhere between daydreaming and connecting to the lesson when Mr. C tells her that he understands. María wonders what he understands and thinks that perhaps he can empathize with her wish for a warmer climate instead of a snowy New York winter.