My Name Is Hamburger
Say your name with pride!
Trudie Hamburger is the only Jewish kid living in the small southern town of Colburn in 1962. Nobody else at her school has a father who speaks with a German accent or a last name that means chopped meat. Trudie doesn't want to be the girl who cries when Daniel Reynolds teases her. Or the girl who hides in the library to avoid singing Christian songs in music class. She doesn't want to be different. But over the course of a few pivotal months, as Trudie confronts her fears and embraces what she loves―including things that make her different from her classmates―she finally finds a way to say her name with pride.
A PJ Our Way Selection. See more.
Reviews
The title of Jacqueline Jules’s highly recommended new novel-in-verse reflects the ironies of growing up Jewish in a small southern town in the mid–twentieth century. -- Jewish Book Council, November 23, 2022.
"This holdable and readable book is highly recommended for every public library and school library. It is an important book for both Jewish and non-Jewish children." -- The Sydney Taylor Shmooze, November 7, 2022.
"Children’s Book Teaches Being Proud of One’s Identity . . . . Besides teaching children to be proud of who they are, and to celebrate their heritage, this novel also suggests that students ought not to assume that others don’t like them. Bullies do not typify societies; they are the often-miserable exceptions." -- San Diego Jewish World, November 9, 2022.
"My Name is Hamburger, a verse novel by Jacqueline Jules (Kar Ben, £9.99), is good at depicting the subtleties of schoolroom antisemitism and the pressures of being a second-generation refugee." -- Angela Kiverstein, The Jewish Chronicle, November 25, 2022.
"Overall, I really enjoyed reading MY NAME IS HAMBURGER. I loved the small town and all the relationships between people. I loved Trudie’s strength and courage and her love for others. I think this is a great book for fans of Jacqueline Woodson or Tricia Springstubb." -- The Story Sanctuary, February 8, 2023.
"Jacqueline Jules is a prolific author of chapter books, picture books, and poetry, and her skill at writing both prose and poetry is evident in this smooth and well-paced story...My Name is Hamburger is a welcome addition to the canon of children’s novels in verse about the immigrant experience in America." -- AJL Newsletter, July August 2023.Blog Interviews
Interview at Jewish Books For Kids
Blog Post at Karben Publishing - Recalling My Childhood: My Name is Hamburger
Blog Post at ReformJudaism.org - My Shabbat Castle
Post at Multicultural Children's Book Day Blog- Jewish Representation in KidLit
Interview at The Whole Megillah
