8 Favorite Name Books for the Beginning of the Year
The beginning of the school year can be scary for kindergarteners. I like to start the new school year off with name activities because most students come in knowing their names. Name books and name activities are a great way to get to know each other, practice the alphabet, and begin to teach about friendships. This post is a round-up of our favorite name books.
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Name Books for the Classroom
The name books below have been some of the class favorites we keep in our classroom library.
Chrysanthemum
The book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes is a class favorite. In this book, Chrysanthemum is getting ready to start school. She absolutely loves her name, but she learns soon that kids can be mean and tease her about her name. She begins to dislike her name but in the end, learns to love it again.
The Name Jar
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi is about a girl who is new to a school and has an uncommon name. This book has some great talking points and life lessons.
A My Name is Alice
The book A My Name is Alice by Jane E. Bayer is a great book to use when introducing alliterations. We always make a class book with our own names and my students love to look at it all year long.
Your Name is a Song
Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is about a girl who gets frustrated when her classmates and teacher mispronounce her name. This book has a beautiful story and is a great reminder for teachers to learn the correct way to pronounce a name.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Juana Martinez-Neal wrote a book called Alma and How She Got Her Name, which I just love! This is a cute book about a girl with a long name. Once she learns the meaning of it, she learns to love it.
My Name is Not Isabella
The book My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry is a fun book that introduces kids to famous female Americans who have made an impact on history in some way.
The Change Your Name Store
Imagine going to a store where you can change your name. The Change Your Name Store by Leanne Shirtliffe is a fun book about a girl who wants to change her name. She tries various names from different countries. The rule is she has to see what life is like in the country first. This book is a fun way to introduce different countries and cultures.
My Name is Elizabeth!
My Name is Elizabeth! by Annika Dunklee is about a girl named Elizabeth. She doesn’t like it when people use one of the common nicknames associated with the name Elizabeth.
What are some of your favorite name books you use at the beginning of the school year?