Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2022 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. VERDICT This is a necessary guide for helping everyone navigate these waters, and educators may wish to throw in some conversation about pronouns as well. A great first-day story for breaking the ice.—Kimberly Olson Fakih - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2022 Eager to begin school, Mirha is baffled then saddened when classmates and school staff mispronounce her name on the first day. “Mama and Baba and Nani can say it—why can’t anyone else?” Too shy to correct a coach and hesitant to instruct peers on pronunciation, Mirha wonders if “changing her name to something easier” might help her make friends. Mama convinces Mirha otherwise by lovingly explaining the meaning and importance of Mirha’s name. “Your name is something to be proud of, and no one can take that away from you.” Mirha returns to school the next day empowered to instruct and correct others, and friendships quickly ensue. With a wide-eyed array of characters in her signature cheerful, animation-style illustrations, Syed delivers a proud if tidy lesson in self-esteem that should suit young students and early elementary classrooms. Pair with Juana Martinez-Neal’s Alma and How She Got Her Name (2018) and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Your Name Is a Song (2020) for conversations around names and finding the confidence to correct with grace. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

Booklist - 07/01/2022 Eager to begin school, Mirha is baffled then saddened when classmates and school staff mispronounce her name on the first day. “Mama and Baba and Nani can say it—why can’t anyone else?” Too shy to correct a coach and hesitant to instruct peers on pronunciation, Mirha wonders if “changing her name to something easier” might help her make friends. Mama convinces Mirha otherwise by lovingly explaining the meaning and importance of Mirha’s name. “Your name is something to be proud of, and no one can take that away from you.” Mirha returns to school the next day empowered to instruct and correct others, and friendships quickly ensue. With a wide-eyed array of characters in her signature cheerful, animation-style illustrations, Syed delivers a proud if tidy lesson in self-esteem that should suit young students and early elementary classrooms. Pair with Juana Martinez-Neal’s Alma and How She Got Her Name (2018) and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Your Name Is a Song (2020) for conversations around names and finding the confidence to correct with grace. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.