The Name Jar

Choi, Yangsook, 2001. The name jar. New York: Afred A. Knopf.

Unhei is from Korea, but has moved to the United States. On her first day of school the other kids tease her about her name and she decides to choose an American name. Her family thinks she should be proud of her name; her classmates give her a jar filled with names, so that she can choose her favorite. But it's so hard to choose. Eventually, she makes her decision, a surprising one. This heartwarming story shows the courage of a child who wants to be accepted, but also wants to be herself. This book is creatively illustrated at the beginning and end with a Chinese name stamp and slips of paper with some of the names from Unhei's name jar. The painterly illustrations throughout the book are bright and expressive but a little stereotypical (especially the Asian characters). This book is recommended for K-2nd grade, but it might work will with slightly older children.