Alma And How She Got Her Name

Book: Alma and How She Got Her Name 

Author: Juana Martinez-Neal

Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal 

Genre: Fiction 

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age Group: Pre-k - 3 

Summary: 

Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela had a very long name and she felt like it just didn't fit. When she tells her dad about it, he tells her the story of her name. He goes and tells her each family member she was named after and special things about them- things that Alma relates to as well. Then when he gets to the name Alma, he lets her know that she is the only Alma for she will go on and make her own story. 

Evaluation and Comments: 

Being Hispanic myself, I all to well know the struggles of living with a super duper long name. At first it's embarrassing and such a hassle. However, like Alma, we all reach a point in which we realize the history of our names, how they represent close loved ones, hold importance and meaning, and allow us to continue on and let our family live on through us. 

This book is great for younger students who have long names as well and even those who don't! We want to teach children that if you have a long name- embrace it, and if you don't have a long name- understand and respect the reason why a peer does. 

A cool activity that you can do with your students is have them interview family members to figure out the meaning behind their names/nicknames and the reason why they were named like that. Students can then share this to the class and help expand the classrooms knowledge of other cultures. 

In conclusion, Alma and How She Got Her Name has my seal of approval! 🥇😄