  | Name she gave me Author: Culley, Betty | |
| Price: $23.08 | ||
Summary:
Rynn was born with a hole in her heart--literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family. Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 5.00 Points: 6.0 Quiz: 519528 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/01/22)
School Library Journal (00/06/22)
Booklist (05/01/23)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2022 Gr 7 Up—Her birth mother named her Scheherazade, the only thing she has from her. Renamed by her adoptive parents, Rynn finds her adoptive mother chilly and at times emotionally abusive. While her adoptive father is loving, he seems a bit obtuse when it comes to Rynn's struggles with her mom. At 16, she is not of legal age to open her adoption records, but she remembers Grammie True was into genealogy, which prompts her to dig into her birth family history online herself. When her research turns up a deceased birth mother and a living biological sister, she is heartbroken but motivated to find the sister she never knew. Emotions run high in this novel-in-verse; Rynn feels erased when she learns her birth family never knew she existed. She takes comfort in the fact that birth mother "Sherry" Scheherazade shared her own name, and that her sister Sorella's name literally means "sister." The reflective tone is apparent during Rynn's journey finding her own identity and the pieces she feels are missing. Her internal "multiverse" of adopted family/birth family/found family is introspective and evolving. Main characters in the story are white living on farmland in Maine. Culley notes that she was adopted from foster care and discovered siblings later in life. She portrays these families in nuanced ways as connections are forged. VERDICT Melodic verse is perfect for the poignant moments that cultivate both compassion and hope. Recommended for all libraries serving teens.—Lisa Krok - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 05/01/2023 Rynn has known for a while that she was adopted and that her birth mother wanted a closed adoption. For Rynn, it’s like pulling teeth to get information about her birth mom from her adoptive parents. The one thing Rynn does know for sure is that her birth mother named her Scheherazade, and with that information she is able to discover that her birth mother died some years ago and that she has a little sister in foster care. Rynn has to learn what it means to be a sister, daughter, and a niece all while navigating the nuances of developing her own identity. Throughout the story, readers will be impressed with Culley’s intimate, multilayered perspective of adoption and familial dynamics. Culley jumps between Rynn and her sister, Ella, creating a space of introspection and agency for both of the girls. This novel’s lyrical verse format explores both the pain and joy of piecing together broken families. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
