The Name Jar

Themes: Acceptance, Diversity, Friendship, Identity, Intercultural competence 

Connections to the Curriculum in English: This book about a young Korean girl encourages talk about different ways of living and traditions in different societies and thus, contributes to developing students’ intercultural competence. 

Book cover

Author and publisher: Yangsook Choi, Dragonfly Books 

Summary: Unhei is excited but also nervous about starting at a new school. Some children in the schoolyard mispronounce her name and make fun of it. However, she feels more welcome in the class, but she refuses to tell them her name. She says that she has not picked one yet. At home, she tells her parents that she wants an American name which is easier to pronounce, but her mum says that her name is very special and was carefully chosen for her. The next morning, she finds a glass jar on her desk containing many names on slips of paper. Her classmates want to help her find a name. However, Unhei decides to keep her name, and her friend Joey chooses a Korean name for himself. 

Suitable for students in years: 6-8

Tags: Acceptance, Diversity, Friendship, Identity, Intercultural competence
Published Mar. 23, 2022 10:00 PM - Last modified Sep. 20, 2022 2:33 PM