Summary
Alma and How She Got Her Name is a fiction book that tells the story of a girl with a long name. Alma complains about her long name to her father, who explains to her why her name is so special. He continues to tell Alma about all the people who she is named after, her grandmother, great grandmother, grandfather, and others. Alma starts to realize how she is similar to all of these people and how she shares similar traits and interests. Alma quickly learns how special her name truly is.
Theme(s):
Identity, Family Connection, Heritage, Tradition, Love
Personal Response
When reading this book, I thought it was such a cute story! The book made me feel happy and comfortable. It was a simple story, yet it tells a good story about being curious and learning things about your family. The illustrator did a great job with depicting the past people in that relate to Alma’s life. As a child, I was always interested in where my name came from and what it means. Similar to Alma, I found out new things about myself and my family before me.
Teaching Ideas
Some teaching ideas could include writing a short story about a favorite family member and explain why they are special/and what they mean to you. Another idea could be finding out what your name(s) means or how your name relates to a certain family member. Another writing activity or prompt could be: “Why is it important to learn about your family?”. Lastly, you can create a coloring or drawing activity that asks each student to write or draw things that make them unique and different.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02
