My Name Is Wakawakaloch

Angry that everyone bungles her name, Neanderthal Wakawakaloch speaks with her parents and Elder Mooch, who remind her that she was named for a brave, heroic ancestor.

A little kid who wants to play the big kids uses the alphabet and spelling to get his way in this classic story from Strega Nona author and illustrator Tomie dePaola, now featuring a new cover and refreshed artwork. Andy may be the littlest kid on the block, but he’s very important. Andy has a wagon full of letters that spell his name, and he takes it with him wherever he goes. When the big kids decide that using Andy’s letters would be a lot of fun, Andy is left out of the game. But what can the big kids do if Andy takes his name and heads for home? Originally published in 1973, this classic picture book from the legendary Tomie dePaola now features refreshed artwork and a new cover.

Inspired by a true event! In the summer of 2015, an adorable new species of octopus was discovered on the ocean floor—this picture book story imagines how this cute creature got his name. Deep down in the water lives an octopus small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. But he doesn’t have a name! Anglerfish is named for his hook like an angler, Mimic Octopus for her ability to change shape and color, and Giant Squid is GIANT! But this little guy doesn’t have the same abilities as the other creatures. What could his name be? With Marisa Polansky's sweet text and Joey Chou's dynamic illustrations, Hello, My Name Is... imagines how the cutest creature in the sea got his name. The story includes a note from a scientist about the naming process and more information about Adorabilis.

Hannah is confused when her mother seems to be calling her by everything but her name

Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.

Kids will relate to Elizabeth’s fervent wish to be called by her proper name.

An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk and Amina’s Voice. As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian. When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha. To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school. When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.

Integrating Social and Emotional Learning with Content builds a framework for creatively and effectively using picture books to integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) with teaching across content areas. Thoughtful book choices in mixed-ability early elementary classrooms have the power to not only support gifted students as they develop academically, but also to provide an opportunity to address their unique social and emotional needs, such as asynchronous development and an early awareness of complex and challenging issues in their lives and the world at large. Picture books are an invaluable tool for this work because the characters, topics, and settings increasingly represent and celebrate the lived experiences of diverse student populations, supporting culturally responsive teaching. Packed with lesson plans, book lists, and more, this book is perfect for teachers in gifted and mixed-ability classrooms as well as homeschooling parents looking to help their children make meaningful connections between their culture, languages, and lived experiences and the academic content and SEL skills they are being taught in the classroom.