Thematic Book List: "What's in a Name" Unit
Here is an annotated book list to accompany a back-to-school unit about the story of the students' names. For the full unit, see my blog post on Scholastic's Classroom Solutions.
Picture Book Suggestions:
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
In this instant classic, Chrysanthemum used to love her name until she began kindergarten and realized just how different her name was. Even though Chrysanthemum is a kindergartener, her precocious vocabulary and the accompanying humor made this book a hit with my third graders.
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Unhei just emigrated from Korea, and she is worried that the students at her new school are going to make fun of her name. I particularly like the colorful full-page illustrations, the rich cultural details, and the fact that Unhei’s first friend is a boy.
• My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams
When Sangoel moves from a refugee camp in Sudan to the United States, he is homesick and upset that the children in his class cannot pronounce his name. He finally comes up with a clever solution to this problem while remaining true to his heritage. I like how this book addresses the sensitive subject of refugee resettlement. The author provides a teaching guide on her website.
• Three Names of Me by Mary Cummings
This book frames the topic of adoption around a Chinese-American girl’s three names: her name from her birth mother, her name from the orphanage, and her name from her adopted parents. The warm, delicate illustrations enhance the reflective tone of this book. This book started a discussion about how people can have many names throughout their lives.
• The First Thing My Mama Told Me by Susan Marie Swanson
Seven-year-old Lucy narrates memories from each year of her life, with an emphasis on her name. For example, she tells about how she scribbled her name when she was three and stomped her name in the snow when she was six. This book felt a little young to me, however it provided needed balance with a character who was proud of her name throughout the book.
• My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits
This book is quite similar to The Name Jar (think of the Venn diagram opportunities.) It also tells the story of a Korean immigrant girl who explores alternatives to her own name.
Chapter Book Suggestions:
(These books all have female characters! Does anyone know of any chapter books related to this theme with male characters? Please share email me or post on Classroom Solutions and share!)
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
In this instant classic, Chrysanthemum used to love her name until she began kindergarten and realized just how different her name was. Even though Chrysanthemum is a kindergartener, her precocious vocabulary and the accompanying humor made this book a hit with my third graders.
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Unhei just emigrated from Korea, and she is worried that the students at her new school are going to make fun of her name. I particularly like the colorful full-page illustrations, the rich cultural details, and the fact that Unhei’s first friend is a boy.
• My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams
When Sangoel moves from a refugee camp in Sudan to the United States, he is homesick and upset that the children in his class cannot pronounce his name. He finally comes up with a clever solution to this problem while remaining true to his heritage. I like how this book addresses the sensitive subject of refugee resettlement. The author provides a teaching guide on her website.
• Three Names of Me by Mary Cummings
This book frames the topic of adoption around a Chinese-American girl’s three names: her name from her birth mother, her name from the orphanage, and her name from her adopted parents. The warm, delicate illustrations enhance the reflective tone of this book. This book started a discussion about how people can have many names throughout their lives.
• The First Thing My Mama Told Me by Susan Marie Swanson
Seven-year-old Lucy narrates memories from each year of her life, with an emphasis on her name. For example, she tells about how she scribbled her name when she was three and stomped her name in the snow when she was six. This book felt a little young to me, however it provided needed balance with a character who was proud of her name throughout the book.
• My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits
This book is quite similar to The Name Jar (think of the Venn diagram opportunities.) It also tells the story of a Korean immigrant girl who explores alternatives to her own name.
Chapter Book Suggestions:
(These books all have female characters! Does anyone know of any chapter books related to this theme with male characters? Please share email me or post on Classroom Solutions and share!)
- The Worst Name in Third Grade by Debbie Dadey
- My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
- Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger
- Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
