MY NAME IS YOON by Helen Recorvits

This story is realistic fiction. That means it is a made-up story that could really happen. real fiction = real fake

VOCABULARY for My Name is Yoon

Cuddle: to hold close in your arms

Favorite: the person or thing you like best

Patient: able to wait or to put up with a problem until it gets better

Practiced: do something over and over again until you get good at it

Settled: to get used to a new home

Wrinkled: to make folds or lines on a smooth surface

MY NAME IS YOON

My name is Yoon. I came here to America from Korea. Korea is a country that is far far away.

It was not long after we settled into our new home that my father called me to his side.

“Soon you will go to a new school. You must learn to write your name in English. This is how it looks,” he said.

I wrinkled up my nose. I did not like YOON. Lines. Circles. Each standing alone. My name did not look happy.

My name looks happy when I use Korean symbols. The symbols dance together.

And in Korean my name means “Shining Wisdom”. I like the Korean way better.

But father told me I must learn to write my name in English.

“Remember, even when you write your name in English, it still means “Shining Wisdom.”

I did not want to learn the new way. I wanted to go back to Korea.

I did not like America. Everything was different here.

My father handed me a pencil. His eyes told me to try. “Do as I do.”

He showed me how to print every letter in the English alphabet, all 26 of them.

So I practiced and practiced. My father was proud.

“Look, he called to my mother. See how well our little Yoon does.” “Yes,” said mother. “She will be a wonderful student.”

I wrinkled up my nose. My first day at school I sat quietly at my desk while the teacher talked about C A T.

She wrote CAT on the chalkboard. She read stories about CAT.

I did not know what her words meant. But I did know what the pictures were.

She sang a song about CAT. It was a pretty song. I tried to sing the words, too.

“Name YOON,” said my teacher. “Write your name on the lines.”

I did not want to write Yoon, so I wrote the word C A T.

I wrote C A T on every line. I wanted to be a cat. I wanted to hide in the corner so my mother would find me and cuddle up close to me and I would mew softly.

The teacher looked at my paper. She shook her head and frowned. “So you are CAT?”

The ponytail girl sitting behind me giggled.

After school I said to my father, “We should go back to Korea. It is better there.”

“Do not talk like that,” he said. “America is your home now.”

I sat by the window and watched a little robin hop, hop in the yard.

“He is all alone, too. He has no friends. No one likes him either.”

Then I got an idea. If I draw a picture for the teacher maybe she will like me.

It was the best bird I had ever drawn. “Look Father,” I said proudly.

“Oh, this makes me very happy,” he said. “Now do this.”

He showed me how to write B I R D under the picture.

The next day the teacher handed me another YOON paper to print.

But I did not want to write YOON. So I wrote BIRD on every line.

I wanted to be a BIRD. I wanted to fly, fly back to Korea.

I would fly to my nest and tuck my head under my little brown wing.

The teacher looked at my paper. “So you are BIRD?” Then I showed her my special bird drawing. She smiled at me.

“How was school today, my daughter?” asked my mother. “ I think my teacher likes me a little,” I said. “Well, that is good!” my mother said.

“Yes, but at my school in Korea, I was the teacher’s favorite. I had many friends. Here I am all alone.”

“You must be patient with everyone,” said my mother. “You will be a fine student and you will have many friends.”

The next day at recess I stood by the fence by myself. I watched the ponytail girl sitting on the swing. She watched me, too.

Suddenly she jumped off the swing and ran over to me. She had a package in her hand. It said CUPCAKE.

She opened it and gave one to me. She giggled. I giggled, too.

When we went back into school, the teacher gave us more printing papers. I did not want to write YOON. I wrote C U P C A K E.

I wanted to be a CUPCAKE. The children would clap their hands when they saw me. They would be excited. “CUPCAKE!”

The teacher looked at my paper. “And today you are CUPCAKE!” she said.

She smiled a very big smile. Her eyes said, “ I like this girl YOON.”

After school I told my mother about my ponytail friend. I sang a new song for my father.

I sang the song in English. “You make us so proud,” they said.

“Maybe America will be a good home,” I thought. “Maybe different is good, too.”

The next day at school, I could hardly wait to print. This time I wrote YOON on every line.

When my teacher looked at my paper, she gave me a big hug. “AHA! You are YOON!” “Yes, I am YOON.”

I write my name in English now. It still means “Shining Wisdom”.

What do you think? 1. At the beginning of the story, did you think Yoon would like school? 2.How does she feel at the end of the story? 3.Why do you think Yoon wrote, CAT, BIRD, and CUPCAKE on her paper instead of Yoon?