A review by bibliogirl
My Name Is Sangoel by Catherine Stock, Khadra Mohammed, Karen Lynn Williams

5.0

This book is wonderful for exploring perspective. Kids are shocked when Sangoel's family has to learn to use forks, and when his little sister cries at the television. Because it's told so simply, students are able to empathize with the family's hardships as they are exposed to the realities of immigrants' lives. They were really delighted with Sangoel's solution to the problem of no one being able to pronounce his name. It's genuinely kid-level genius. This is one of a list I loosely call "My Name" books. I share several around the concept of being a child coming to a new country and finding a place one's own. When I recently shared it with my third graders, I was most moved by one quiet young student's being inspired to share that when his Grandmother came from Vietnam, her name was changed.