That is Not My Name! by Anoosh Syed


 

The book, That is Not my Name by Anoosh Syed follows the journey of a young girl named Mihra as she finds her voice to stand up to those who mispronounce her name. At the very beginning she is introduced to have a beautiful and loving family and who help her through her challenges. At school she feels a lot of emotions as she notices that no one can pronounce her name, she experiences confusion and anger and does not know how to deal with it besides thinking she needed to change her name to fit in. Upon telling her mother of her plan to change her name, her mother reminders her that her name is unique and special and that no can take that away. The discussion with her mother inspires her to use her voice and politely correct students and teachers when they say her name wrong. Children in return show a level of understanding and empathy and want to do better for her so her name is pronounced correctly.

Anti bias elements:

  1. Wihtin the book there are various illustrations of diverse ethnicities, races, religion and identities characters, who at the end show respect and compassion to those who are different from them. Additionally, the book demonstrates to children how to be culturally sensitive people and use healthy communication skills to convey emotions they feel.
  2. The book uses Arabic words to describe grandma and father, which helps the book be more relatable  for those who speak Arabic at home.
  3. The description of a supportive and uplifting family who encourages her to love her ethnic name despite it being different from the “American norm. 

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