The name jar

by Yangsook Choi

Paperback, 2003

Status

Available

Collection

Publication

New York : Dell Dragonfly Books, c2003.

Description

After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, her new classmates help her decide what her name should be.

User reviews

LibraryThing member GI142984
This book is about a little girl named Unhei who just moved to America from Korea. On the first day of school she is riding the bus and introduces herself to some of the kids. They make fun of her name because they thought it sounded like “You hey” and none of them could pronounce it. After the
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bus ride she is hesitant to enter her new class in fear that her classmates will make fun of her name also. When the teacher introduces Unhei she tells her classmates that she hasn’t came up with a name yet. The next day at school she finds a jar with different names written on a piece of paper. Her classmates tell her that they are trying to help her find a name. During the process Unhei comes to realize that her name is special and meaningful and finally tells her classmates her name is Unhei.

I thought this was such a cute book. This book would be such a great book for any student that is experiencing a cultural change.

In the classroom students can look up their name in a different language and see what the meaning is and how it is spelled. As a class we can find a pin pal class in a different class and write letters back and forth.
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LibraryThing member Raquelb
This was a fantastic story about a young girl who struggles with trying to fit in; she soon realizes that being different is a special gift to embrace. She was nerves and excited to start school at a different place and becomes ashamed of her Korean name that barley no one can pronounce. After some
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encouragement from her mother and grandmother she shares her unique name with the entire class and they love it! She gains a friend throughout this journey that helps her see how special she is in an amazing way! I would definitely recommend this to any student in any classroom.
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LibraryThing member my624persona
Unhei and her family have just moved to the United States from Korea, and it's hard getting used to how different things are--especially when the other kids at school can't pronounce her name!

This realistic story from Yangsook Choi is a gem for any elementary school library. While illustrations
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don't complement the text of the story too much, they do supplement the depth of the narrative, giving readers a glimpse into Unhei's world. Kids from immigrant families are sure to identify with Unhei, and kids from natal U.S. families will learn a lot about what it feels like to be the new kid from across the world.
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LibraryThing member conuly
Unhei is a little taken aback when the other students misunderstand her name and tease her about it. So she decides to get an American name.

On and on, she talks to various people, she shows kids her name stamp, she collects name suggestions, and eventually she decides to keep her own name. (What a
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surprise.)

It's a very predictable story. Nice illustrations and well told for what it is, but nothing is exactly going to surprise you here.
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LibraryThing member chelsea.sellers
This is a book about a young girl by the name of Unhei. In this story she is a new student in a different country. Unhei becomes very embarrassed when the students make fun of her name. She tells the other children that she is going to have a new name at the end of the week, which the other
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students give her suggestions.

I can relate to this story because at one time when I was younger I did not like my name and wanted to change it. After I matured more I realized how much I liked my own name.

A classroom extension could include that you have a classroom discussion how the children really feel about their own name.
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LibraryThing member Sierra.Kovacs
Unhei moves from Korea to the United States. Before her first day she is very anxious. The first thing she realizes is that her name is different from all of the other students. Unhei decides that she needs to come up with an American name and her friends agree to help her so she creates a “name
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jar”. The next morning when Unhei arrives at school she finds her jar full of name. Next all she had to do was decide. Joey, one of her classmates, finds out her real name and it’s meaning, Grace. He thinks this is awesome and decides he wants a Korean name. This helps the whole class realize that it is okay to be different.

I can truly relate to this story because when I was a little girl Sierra was a very uncommon name and I always thought that I wanted to change it. However, as I grew older I realized that I enjoyed having a name different from everyone else.

In the classroom I would do a name activity with the children where we research their names and discover their true meanings. I would also have the students create name stamps where they write their names in bubble letter or however they choose and they decorate their names however they want.
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LibraryThing member MrsWeldonlovesbooks
This book is about a Korean girl named Unhei. She has just moved to the United States, and she is feeling very different from the other kids especially when they tease her about her name. She plans on getting a new name until she discovers the special meaning behind her name.

I can relate to this
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book because I really didn't like my name growing up. However, as I got older I accepted my name. I realized that I didn't want a name just like everyone else.

In the classroom, I would have all the students find out what their names mean. Then, we would have a classroom discussion where all the kids would share something special about their name. I think that this would be a great activity to teach about diversity, and help build self confidence
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LibraryThing member sarah-prebble
Imagine the excitement of moving to a new country and starting a new school. That’s want Unhei thought until she got to school and no one could pronounce her name. She decided that she is going to choose an American name, but she changes her mind when her classmates convince her that her name is
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great and she should keep it.

I thought that this story was great! I have a very unusual middle name and like Unhei it was mispronounced my whole life. I was not as fortunate as Unhei, I did not learn to appreciate my middle name until I was in my twenties and now I love it.

As an extension for this story it would be great for the class to research the meaning and origin of their first, middle and last name. Also, it would be great to explore how other cultures determine the names of their children.
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LibraryThing member alishamcbride
This is an overall good book. I enjoy both the plot and the illustrations from this book. Unhei, a young girl who has moved from Korea with her family to attend school in the United States, struggles because she does not feel that she fits in at school because her Korean name is so difficult to
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pronounce. As a result, she decides to change her name to a common American name. Her classmates at her new school all decide to help with the selection process but contributing names, but in the end she decides that the best name for her is her original Korean name. Through the process of trying to find a new name, she develops friendships and begins to feel more comfortable in her new home and school. The illustrations in this book are wonderful, and Yangsook Choi does an excellent job portraying the Korean culture through the illustrations. It contains quite a lot of dialogue which helps with the flow of the story. In addition, the illustrations mirror the text and enable young readers to use their semantic cueing systems while reading.
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LibraryThing member Brooklynn1992
Summary:
This book is about a girl named Unhei, who moved from Korea to the U.S. She starts school and no one can pronounce her name and she gets upset about it. She decides she is going to change her name to something else and more American. Finally she realizes that the best name for her is the
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one she already had.

Personal Reaction:
I think this is a good book for students because of all of the cultural differences we face today.

Classroom Extensions:
1) You could do a lesson on different cultures and how they decide their names.
2) You could then have the class do some research on their names and find out maybe where it comes from.
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LibraryThing member claire.cavell
Unhei moved to American from Korea and tries to fit in by coming up with an American name for herself because her Korean name is too hard to pronounce. Her classmates try to help Unhei choose a name by placing names in a name jar for her. In the end she chooses Grace, what Unhei means in Korean.
LibraryThing member jacale19
Unhei moves to America from Korea and she is embarrassed to give her real name to the kids at her school. She is afraid that they will tease her about it. She realizes with the help of a friend that her name is special and that acceptance is important. I would use this with my ESL students/students
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to teach acceptance in the classroom. Coming to a new country is difficult for everyone, it is definitely a transition and children need to learn about acceptance.
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LibraryThing member bsalomon
Unhei just moved to the United States from Korea. When she goes to her new school, she doesn’t tell the children her name because she did not want to get picked on. When she meets a little boy named Joey, he helps her realize that she has a nice name and should not change it in fear of
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embarrassment. This is a great read aloud book that helps children learn about different cultures. Also, this would be a good book for children who have moved from a different country to relate to.
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LibraryThing member feboudre
A little girl comes to America from Korea. When she goes to school the kids have a difficult time pronouncing her name. She tells the students she hasn't picked a name yet, but eventually picks her own name in the end with the help of a new friend. Good book that shows the importance and value in
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accept your own name. Good book for children who come to a new place and feel they will not be accepted.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age(s): 5-10
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LibraryThing member khudd
This wonderful book tells the story of a young immigrant girl who moves from Korea to America only to have her classmates not be able to pronounce her name. As a result Unhei decides to pick a new name out of a jar but instead is encouraged by a friend to keep her true Korean name along with it's
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amazing culture.

I would use this book to teach children that their names are their identities and how special each one is no matter what it is.
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LibraryThing member KimJD
A sweet story about embracing our differences that will resonate with the grades 1-3 crowd. Unhei's family moves from Korea to the United States, and on her first day of school, some of the kids on the school bus make fun of her name after they have trouble pronouncing it. She decides that she
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needs a more American name, and her classmates are happy to pitch in, putting their suggestions in a glass jar. Nothing seems quite right, and it takes her friend Joey to help her realize her best name.
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LibraryThing member jessotto
A girl name Unhei moves to America from Asia but upon introducing herself to her classmates she can't decide what her name will be. Her teacher suggests starting her a name jar and all of her classmates add a name that they think she will like. As the days go on Unhei tries to decide what name she
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would like to introduce herself as to her classmates. On the day she decides to choose a name, she can't find her name jar so she decides to keep her own name. Later to find out her friend and classmate hid her name jar so that she would keep her name.
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LibraryThing member MaddieDeMarcus
Summary:
This book is about a young girl who moves from Korea. She goes to class and most of the kids have a hard time pronouncing her real Korean name. The kids start putting suggested names in a jar for her to pick one that will be easier to pronounce. She doesn't know what to do, but one of her
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friends somehow convinces her to keep her real name.

Reflection:
This was a great book. It shows how some kids have problems with things they can't change. Whether it is a name or something else, certain kids are very insecure about other kids saying things about it. Changing a name would be easy, yes, but it isn't who they are. You would have to convince them of all the cool things about having something no one else has and to cherish it.

1. Learn, write, and say all the class's names and have the kids do the same
2. If a child has a unique name, maybe they could share how they get their name and what it means.
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LibraryThing member RaymondGraham
This book is about a young Korean girl who moves to America but before she left her grandmother gave her a name stamp with her name in Korean. When she goes to school the kids struggle with her name so they tease her. So she decides to give herself an American name. The kids come up with a name jar
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with lots of American names so that she can pick. Well she ends up making a friend who likes her name and convinces her to keep her name and shows her his very own name stamp.

I like this book because I can semi relate with my middle name being Chung. Growing up with an Asian middle name sometimes I wouldn't tell people when I was younger because they thought I was either lying or they just thought it was weird.

Have the kids come up with a mock name jar for fun, except put in names that are not very common.
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LibraryThing member cabram90
A little girl moves from Korea to the US and is worried about attending school. To get familiar with her classmates and introduce herself all the students put their name in a jar for her to chose from.
LibraryThing member SuPendleton
This is a very short book that can be read with elementary students to help them understand what it is like to be live in a different country. Unhei is from Korea and is embarrassed about how difficult it is for Americans to pronounce her name, so she decides to choose a new name. All the students
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start to make suggestions and place possible names in a jar for her to choose one. At the end of the story, she realizes her own name fits her best.
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LibraryThing member sandratt
this book is about a girl who is from different Country and the other children make fun of her.
Ages 5-6
from ECE Library
LibraryThing member alarso2
In this book, a young girl named Unhei moves to America from Korea. She wants to introduce herself to the class, but also wants to pick an "American name", so they will have an easier time pronouncing her name. Her classmates all chip in, but after a minor intervention Unhei and her classmates
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finally decide that she should keep her name as it is.
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LibraryThing member kwiggi3
I liked this book because it showed the difficulties children may face when they are from a different culture and are thrown into the American schools with American students who simply do not understand them. I like how the author showed that is it okay to keep your culture and still be a part of
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the American culture as well. I also like how the author showed how other children can be mean but eventually helped her. The author brought about a good message of accepting yourself for who you are even if you are different than other children. This was a good multicultural book for Korean children to read and relate to or American students to see and gain a better understanding when a student from a different background comes into their class.
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LibraryThing member jobend2
I really enjoyed this book for a few reasons. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. Starting off with a little Korean girl coming to the Unied States to an American school. She was too embarrassed to share her real name with her classmates. I liked how her thoughts changed as the story went on.
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She went from being embarrassed of her name, to being proud and sharing it with the entire class, which I thought was very moving and brave of her. I think the message of this story is that sometimes coming to a new place is not easy and it can be hard to share with other your true self, but showing your true self is important and others will accept you for who you are. Don’t try to be someone else because being yourself is the best thing you can do.
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Awards

Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Picture — 2003)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — Picture Books — 2004)

Language

Physical description

29 cm

ISBN

0440417996 / 9780440417996

Barcode

255
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