When My Name Was Keoko
PART ONE
Park, L. S. (2002). When my name was Keoko. Clarion Books.
This is Historical Fiction, and it is intended for readers ages 10–14-year-olds, grades 5th-8th. However, this can also be used for high school students in a World History course.
PART TWO
This novel was extremely interesting for me. As I discussed in my literacy circle, this version of WWII was never taught or talked about in school. I had little knowledge besides what my good friend that visits Korea frequently shares with me. This novel deals with war, loss of cultural identity, bravery, resistance, and gender roles. In this story Koreans are forced to change their names and erase everything they have or know about their culture. They are forced into a Japanese culture, even forcing them to learn the language. The story shows how families struggled to try to hold on to their own culture while learning a new one. The characters engage in quiet acts of resistance by writing for independence while trying not to put their families at risk. This shows that resilience and fighting back does not always mean fighting. It can be as simple as holding on to your culture and history. The message in the story shows us how families are torn apart by war. It is a reminder that war affects all people, but especially children, in ways that they might never recover from. The gender roles in this story are typical of girls who are expected to act a certain way while the boys are pushed towards service and honor. This story prompts readers to think about the roles boys and girls are expected to play in different historical events. Some prompts I would use before I introduce this book to my students would be the following: what is your knowledge about WWII? What does your name and family history mean to you? This is the perfect way to get students to think about what they have and how they would feel if they were forced to forget or leave behind their culture.
PART THREE
The plot in this story is well structured for young readers. It might feel a bit slow on some parts of the book, but there is so much emotion that pulls readers back in. The themes, as I previously mentioned, are war, loss of cultural identity, colonialism, and resistance. The author handles these themes with sensitivity and respect. It allows young readers to empathize with a culture they might not know much about. Park’s writing style is clear and simple, perfect for the young audience. She uses emotion and historical details without overwhelming readers. The alternating narration is what makes this book so powerful. It gives both the female and male perspectives and experiences during this historical event.
PART FOUR
This is the perfect novel to use in a world history lesson as it can help promote reading comprehension, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and personal connection.
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. RL.5.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language.
Lesson Objective: After reading When My Name Was Keoko, students will Identify and discuss themes such as identity, family, and resistance in their assigned group.
Discussion questions:
What does the novel teach us about resistance and resilience under oppression?
What is one important message or lesson you can take away from this book?
What are some examples of silent or small acts of resistance in the book?
I would start the lesson by briefly discussing basic background on WWII and Japanese occupation of Korea. Then we would begin to read the novel, having discussions after each chapter to ensure retention and comprehension. After completing the novel, I would make small groups of 4 students per group and assign them the questions above. They would complete this group project by collaboratively creating a poster that shows a representation of what they just learned about this historical event.
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