The Name Jar

The Name Jar
Written by Yangsook Choi
2003

Being the new kid at school is never easy, but Unhei was from Korea and had a name that no one could pronounce. The other kids made fun of her on the bus and in order to avoid the same thing happening in her class, she tells them that she will choose an American name instead. To help her, Unhei's classmates start a name jar that they can add different American names to in order to help her decide which one to choose. In the end one of her classmates discovers her real Korean name and it's meaning; the name jar at school mysteriously disappears, and she proudly goes by Unhei from then on.

This book would be particularly beneficial with the number of students that we have from Mexico. Many of them have unique names and they all come from diverse backgrounds. This story would be a great way to help teach all of our students to celebrate and embrace their cultural backgrounds, and to be proud of who they are and where they come from.