What's In a Name?
Books About Names
By Madalyn Rogers, Children's Associate, Hardesty Regional Library
For children with unique names, it can often be frustrating when others misspell or mispronounce their name. These picture books encourage the reader to be proud of their name and where it comes from. Promoting self-confidence and being proud of yourself are central themes that all readers can benefit from.
Chrysanthemum – In this beloved classic, Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts school and the other children make fun of it. Through encouragement from her teacher, she realizes that her name is beautifully unique and something to take pride in.
That’s Not My Name - When Mirha starts school, her classmates and teachers have trouble pronouncing her name. She is discouraged and too shy to correct them. She tells her mother that she wants to change her name to something that will be "easier" to pronounce. Her mother reminds her that Mirha means "happiness" in Arabic, and that her name- and her classmates' names- are unique and special. This encourages Mirha to correct her classmates and express the importance of pronouncing it correctly. This prompts some students to share the origins of their names as well.
Your Name Is a Song - After expressing her frustrations that no one at school can say her name, the protagonist's mother teaches her that every name is a song. My favorite part of this book is that pronunciations are provided for each name mentioned, even names that many of us might think of as “easy” (ex. Bob).
Sora’s Seashells - Sora and her grandmother have a tradition of collecting seashells at the beach every summer. When Sora starts kindergarten, some of her classmates make fun of her name. Later, when news arrives that her grandmother has passed away, Sora is overwhelmed with emotion and tells her parents about her classmates teasing her. They explain that Sora's name means "seashell" in Korean and that her grandmother suggested the name because she felt that seashells are gifts of natural beauty, like baby Sora. This encourages Sora to be proud of her name and share its story, and her seashell collection, with her class. This picture book is a touching blend of grief and understanding the meaning behind our names and what makes them special.
For these and other similar titles, check out the full book list here.
