The Name Jar

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Having just moved from Korea, Unhei (Yoon-Hey) is filled with anxiety on her first day of school in America. Her first day of school starts out awful as students on the bus cannot pronounce her name and begin to tease her. When Unhei arrives in her classroom, she does not introduce herself. Instead, Unhei tells her class that she hasn’t picked a name yet. So, the class creates a name jar and throughout the week adds name suggestions like Madison, Laura, and Amanda to it. She reads and practices using many of the names, but cannot decide which name to choose. Just when Unhei is about to announce her name to her classmates, her name jar disappears! 

The Name Jar, written and illustrated by Yangsook Choi, is a book that elementary children of all ages will be able to connect to and enjoy. Choi uses vivid illustrations to draw the reader in, and holds the reader’s attention with an authentic story line that should not be limited to primary students. Unhei’s anxiety over school, frustration and hurt over the mispronunciation of her name, and her struggle to fit in with her peers are realistic experiences that all students can relate to. This text also provides students with a glimpse into immigration, in addition to lifestyle and cultural differences. The Name Jar will help build a classroom environment of acceptance and could be used as a springboard to discuss our differences such as our unique names, customs and traditions.