SuitabookThe Name Jar
Yangsook Choi
- Reading
- Read together and pause after the bus scene and the name-jar episode to notice Unhei’s choices and feelings. Afterwards, practise asking and saying names respectfully, while leaving the ending’s precise details open for discussion.
- Themes
- Names and identity: Unhei weighs whether to choose an American name after classmates mock or struggle with her Korean name; the wooden name stamp connects her with her family and home. The story presents retaining and explaining one’s name as connected with self-understanding and cultural identity.
- Belonging after migration: Unhei arrives from Korea at a new American school and faces uncertainty about how classmates will receive her. The book acknowledges the pressure to fit in while making space for cultural difference and a sense of self.
- Peer curiosity and support: Classmates place possible names in a jar, while Joey takes interest in Unhei and her culture. The name jar begins as an attempt by classmates to help, but the story also raises whether choosing for someone can respect their agency.
- Worth knowing
- The school-bus teasing and Unhei’s anxiety may merit a little preparation. The story also involves migration, assimilation and cultural difference, so a child may want to talk about feeling new or misunderstood.