Three Names of Me

Written by: Mary Cummings

First line: Ada Lorane Bennett. That is my name.

Why you should read this book: A little girl born in China and adopted by American parents pieces together her own personal history through the story of her names: the one her birth mother whispered to her, which she can never remember; the one given to her by the nurses in the orphanage where she was abandoned, and the English name she was given at her adoption. She examines the parts of her that are Chinese (her looks, her love of a red silk outfit, the few Chinese words she knows) and those that are American (her family, her love of hot dogs), and concludes that she is a person who is loved. The book concludes with a small scrapbook and a note from the character encouraging readers to create their own personal scrapbooks and, if they are American children of Chinese origin, to learn more about their homeland.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't believe kids should be told they are adopted.