2. My Name Is Maria Isabel By Alma Flor Ada Illustrated by K. Dyble Thompson American Bookseller Pick of the List

3. Genre Focus: Realistic Fiction 4 Realistic characters and events come to life in a fictional plot

4. Selection Summary New in school, Maria Isabel doesnt respond when her teacher calls her Mary and so she will miss out on the Christmas pageant. After much worry, she finally explains the importance of her family name to her teacher in an essay, and the teacher asks Maria Isabel to participate.

5. Key Vocabulary

6. Attentively- with attention or alertness 4 The class listened attentively as the student spoke.

7. Disappointed- feeling like things didnt go the way you wanted 4 The girl was disappointed that she couldnt go to her friends house.

8. Misunderstanding- a failure to understand 4 A small misunderstanding can cause some serious problems.

9. Nervously- with concern, worry, or fear 4 The man nervously paced around the room waiting to hear if he got the job.

10. Troublesome- causing problems 4 The diver knew he was in a troublesome situation.

11. Latkes- potato pancakes eaten at Hanukkah 4 The chef was busy flipping the latkes for the familys breakfast.

12. Pageant- a play based on events in history 4 Everyone who saw the pageant thought it was a huge success.

13. Menorah- a candlestick with 9 branches used in Jewish worship 4 Each day the family lit another candle on the menorah.

14. Strategies and Skills Maria Isabel has a difficult problem to solve. As you read, stop several times to predict what you think she will do next. Then predict what you think the results will be.

15. Comprehension Skill Focus: Predicting Outcomes 4 Good readers are always thinking as they read. They note details as they read so they can predict what might happen next. Youre going to complete a prediction chart to develop this skill.

16. Prediction Chart

17. Prediction Chart

18. Enjoy reading Selection 1. Check out www.eduplace.com for more activities related to this story.