My Name

When a Palestinian child asks their family why they have their given name, they discover how much meaning and empowerment it holds.

A child asks their mother, then their father why they have their given name. Their mother says the name speaks of sweetness and serenity; their father says it contains courage to care for and preserve their land. The child learns that their name holds memories of olive trees in bloom, the family gathering for the harvest, even the taste of olives, according to their grandfather! Their name says so much about their history, who they are, what they do. And that's why the child and their friends write their names everywhere -- even on their own hands and feet -- so that they will never be forgotten.

In this moving story, author and illustrator Marilda Castanha takes what might be marks of victimhood -- the names of children, written on their bodies -- and transforms them into an act of empowerment and an insistence on being seen and remembered.

This beautifully illustrated story is an invitation to reflect on the impact of war on children's lives, the hope we harbor for world peace, and the importance of remaining true to our identities and origins.

Key Text Features

author's note

dialogue

epigraph

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3

Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

MARILDA CASTANHA began illustrating children's books when she was studying visual arts at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Since then, she has illustrated other writers' stories as well as her own, including A quatro mãos. She has won the Jabuti Award, presented by Camara Brasileira do Livro, three times (twice in the Illustration category, once in the Children's Book category) and a Nami Concours Purple Island Prize. Marilda lives and works in her atelier-home in Santa Luzia, Brazil.

JANE SPRINGER is an author, editor and translator who has worked in international development. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.