Summary
On Vanessa’s first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. They notice her at school in a bad way and she feels more self-conscious. Her clothes are not right, her name is too long, everything is wrong. She just wants to blend in, with a simple name like the other girls. But when her mother tells her about the meaning behind her name, it gives her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa.
Theme(s):
self-love, acceptance, empowerment
Personal Response
I absolutely loved this book because I thought it captured the idea of self-love and confidence so well. As a person who struggles immensely with this idea, I found this to be so relevant and authentic for me. I think this book also portrays the beautifulness of African American women and how even though we all have differences, it’s how we embrace those differences that makes the most sense.
Teaching Ideas
After reading the book to my students, I will have them engage in a self-love activity where they would talk to someone about three things they love about themselves. From there, they would then talk to their partner about three things they like about them. We will discuss how everyone is different and that is what makes us unique. From there, students will be able to create a drawing of someone they share a similarity with and someone they also share differences with to compare and contrast.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
