The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

 The Name Jar - Kindle edition by Choi, Yangsook, Choi, Yangsook. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

  • Fiction 
  • Grade: Pre-K - 2nd
  • Awards: Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Master List 2003 

Summary: 

The Name Jar is a story about a young girl named Unhei who is going to school in America for the first time after moving from Korea. She is nervous about going to school especially after the kids on the bus make fun of her name. Unhei introduces herself to her class but tells them that she has not picked a name so they start a jar for her and fill it with American names. After much thought and a conversation with the store clerk, Unhei decides that she loves her own name especially because it means grace. Unhei makes a friend in the story named Joey who takes the jar of names because he learns Unhei's real name and thinks it's beautiful. The story ends as Unhei introduces herself to the class and teaches them her real name, and Joey chooses a Korean nickname which means friend. 

Evaluation:

I would use this book in my classroom. This book is the appropriate reading level for second-graders so the students will be able to decode and comprehend the story. The Name Jar would be great for a unit in language arts and reading. This book encourages diversity and students from different backgrounds will be able to relate to the characters and form connections. The story of Unhei is inspirational for children because they may be nervous about going to school for different reasons but Unhei's story teaches children that everyone is unique and that should be celebrated. 


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