Identity Books for Families to Explore: Self-Acceptance

Mirha is so excited for her first day of school! She can't wait to learn, play, and make new friends. But when her classmates mispronounce her name, she goes home wondering if she should find a new one. Maybe then she'd be able to find a monogrammed keychain at the gas station or order a hot chocolate at the cafe more easily.
Mama helps Mirha to see how special her name is, and she returns to school the next day determined to help her classmates say it correctly--even if it takes a hundred tries.

Illustrations and easy-to-read text remind the reader that no matter what happens or how one feels, he or she matters.

The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He's got big plans, and no doubt he'll see them through--as he's creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he's afraid, because he's so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So slow down and really look and listen, when somebody tells you--and shows you--who they are. There are superheroes in our midst!

How did Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela end up with such a long name? As Daddy tells the story of her many names, Alma can almost feel herself grow into them.

Red's factory-applied label clearly says that he's red, but despite the best efforts of his teacher, fellow crayons and art supplies, and family members, he can't seem to do anything right until a new friend offers a fresh perspective.

In a poetic, philosophical exchange, two children of different races ask themselves why they are who and what they are, and speculate on how they could be different.

Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

Joyful young narrators celebrate feeling at home in one's own skin.

A young Korean girl, Unhei, who is new to her American classroom, tells the class she will choose a name easier for them to pronounce from jar of names. When a classmate visits Unhei's neighborhood and learns her real name's special meaning, the name jar disappears, and Unhei's new friends encourage her to keep her Korean name.

An empowering reflection on the many things we are and the ways we relate to the world. Poet Bob Raczka's You are a Story highlights all of the nuance and potential of a growing person's identity, delighting in the things that make us special and connect us to others. Text and illustrations replete with inventive imagery and appealing metaphors show how we all live as individuals and citizens of the world.

Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

Shares a story of loving who you are, respecting others and being kind to one another.

Encourages readers to accept and love themselves as they are and advises them to be confident, curious, adaptable, and willing to speak up.