The Name Jar

A little girl who has recently arrived to America from Korea is nervous about starting school. When the kids there give her a touch time about the pronunciation of her name, she decides that she should pick a new American name. With the help of a friend, she ultimately decides that her own name is best for her.
Source: Pierce County Library (Lakewood)
Ages: 8 and up

The name jar is a gift to give to your students! About a young Asian girl who is knew to her class and does not want to reveal her name because she is afraid the children will laugh at her so she has them give her suggestions to what her name should be.

younger children can learn richer vocabulary using this book

A sweet story about embracing our differences that will resonate with the grades 1-3 crowd. Unhei's family moves from Korea to the United States, and on her first day of school, some of the kids on the school bus make fun of her name after they have trouble pronouncing it. She decides that she needs a more American name, and her classmates are happy to pitch in, putting their suggestions in a glass jar. Nothing seems quite right, and it takes her friend Joey to help her realize her best name. ( )

Summary:
This book is about a young girl who moves from Korea. She goes to class and most of the kids have a hard time pronouncing her real Korean name. The kids start putting suggested names in a jar for her to pick one that will be easier to pronounce. She doesn't know what to do, but one of her friends somehow convinces her to keep her real name.

Reflection:
This was a great book. It shows how some kids have problems with things they can't change. Whether it is a name or something else, certain kids are very insecure about other kids saying things about it. Changing a name would be easy, yes, but it isn't who they are. You would have to convince them of all the cool things about having something no one else has and to cherish it.

1. Learn, write, and say all the class's names and have the kids do the same
2. If a child has a unique name, maybe they could share how they get their name and what it means.