Summary
Unhei, a new student from Korea is worried about fitting in because not only is she the new kid, but people cannot pronounce her name. Instead of being introduced as Unhei on the first day, she chooses to pick an American name from the name jar. With the help of new friends, Unhei will soon learn that she does not need an American name to be accepted and welcomed. She will learn the importance of her name and will learn to love it.
Theme(s):
Self-esteem, Friendship, Acceptance
Personal Response
I have personally read this book to my class before and the responses are always overwhelming. Many times, students comment that she should not have to change her name to be welcomed. I absolutely love this book and the story behind it. It is something often read in the beginning of the school year because many students have names that are difficult to pronounce but never would I or their peers want them to change their name.
Teaching Ideas
This book is great to read to a class in the beginning of the year to help show that everyone is different yet they are all welcomed. Another way that I would integrate this book into my curriculum is when learning about cultures within families. Students can create a project on their name and where it originates from and just research their names and then they all share so we can see all the differences there are because there tends to be more than we realize.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02
