Today (5/1/19) is the official release date of You Can Call Me Katelyn, a fun #girlpower children’s picture book, written by Keri T. Collins and playfully illustrated by Marcia Adams Ho. The friendly and accessible first-person-narrative introduces young readers to Katelyn, a cheerful and confident girl determined to change her name.

Most of the story explains why Katelyn doesn’t feel attached to her given name, Carly. Katelyn does not like that Carly is often misspelled and shortened to “Car.” She combines the names of her best friends, Kate and Lyn, to form a name that she is excited about. She shares her new name with stuffed toys, family members, and peers. By the end of the book Katelyn is confident her new name will stick!

You Can Call Me Katelyn subtly critiques the limits of children’s agency. Even more, it encourages children to identify and assert their own desire, in this instance, by taking control of naming.

Katelyn does not experience any resistance to her name change, which leaves no room to introduce a lesson about resilience. That being send, this is a fun book that introduces a likeable character with a personality many young people will find charming. It is an encouraging confidence builder that takes children seriously. I recommend it for readers four to eight in home and classroom settings. The author provides some tips for self-advocacy at the back of the book, which can help spark some productive conversations between kids and caregivers!

* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR ONE COPY OF YOU CAN CALL ME KATELYN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @JLMILLER516 AND FOLLOW THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK (SEE BELOW). OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AT RANDOM 5/8/19.

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