That’s Not My Name!

PreS-Gr 2–In a vividly illustrated classroom that includes a child in a wheelchair, students who have many different colors of skin, a variety of dress, and many different hairstyles, saying “Mir” as in “miracle” and “Ha” as in “haha” should not be so hard. But on the first day of school, which Mirha has anticipated for so long, no one, not even the teacher, can say her name right. She hears students call her by every other name there is, from Mina to Nerha. Hayden, with red hair and green eyes, asks Mirha to change her name to Maya, to make it easier for everyone, and she considers it. The heartbreak is palpable, because most children have witnessed this situation, even if they were not victims of it. Mirha cannot understand why the name that is music to everyone in her Arab family is so difficult for others. Her solution proves perfect. When people get it wrong, she simply says, “That’s not my name,” and helps the person pronounce it. She is just as courteous about everyone else’s names. Syed’s book uses clarity in the dialogue, the emotions, and in the intent, featuring only well-meaning teachers and children who want to get it right. Her illustrated school scenes are so familiar while Mirha’s posture translates her every feeling, with or without the text.