4 Must-Have Name Books for Your Classroom

Let’s talk about name books! Have you thought about using literature to teach the importance of names? Names are an essential part of our identities. There’s also a history, culture, and story behind it. So, when you mispronounce a student’s name, it diminishes their self-esteem. Here are four books you can use to teach the importance of names. 

Why use books to teach names? 

Literature is our window into the world. It allows us to meet characters we never knew, communities and cultures we’ve never heard of, and view the world from someone else’s perspective.

I have read them in my classroom, and they helped facilitate a conversation about why it’s important to pronounce our classmates’ names correctly. 

Clicking the book cover will take you to the Amazon store (affiliate link). Below the image is a YouTube link where you can watch the read-aloud. 

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompson-Bigleow

Read Aloud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8wAyYaM1tc 

I’ve shared my love for this book before. After her name is repeatedly mispronounced, a little girl decides she will never return to school again. Her mom reminds her that her name is a song. This leads to a poetic walk home as the mother teaches her daughter the musicality of diverse names from different cultures. 

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Read Aloud (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGCuOEoEXSc) 

The Name Jar teaches students that all of our names mean something. Embarrassed after students made fun of her name, Unhei asked her mom for an American name because her name was so hard to pronounce. Unhei learns that it is a good thing to be different. By the end of the book, Unhei not only embraces her name and culture by sharing it with her schoolmates. 

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

Read Aloud (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBmNmwsEz_g )

Alma has a long name. Too long. This leads to her father explaining the meaning of her name. She learns the cultural and familial connection to her name. Her name is a reflection of her family’s stories. Ultimately, she learns that her name fits her and has a story to tell. 

Thao by Thao Lam 

Read (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A_ebslafVs) 

Thao Lam wrote this book after learning the psychological effects of mispronouncing a student’s name. Lam could relate to constantly hearing her name mispronounced and captured that experience in her book, Thao.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, can pronounce Thao’s name. They pronounced it Towel and Theo, which frustrated Thao. She wishes she had a simpler name, like Jennifer. She learns to embrace her name. This autobiographical picture book is a must-read. 

What are your favorite name books? Let me know in the comments section below.

Happy Teaching,

Tee