This book follows a young girl with an Indian father and a German mother, raised in the USA. Her class is celebrating Multicultural Day, and each student is asked to share the story of who they are. This leaves her in a dilemma—who is she? Is she Indian? German? American? As the story unfolds, she realizes she doesn’t have to choose—she can be all three.

This book is perfect for today’s classrooms. Many BIPOC students still get asked, “Where are you from?”—a question that can be difficult to answer. This story provides the tools to navigate that conversation. While the book focuses on cultural identity, it opens the door to broader discussions. I once had students create identity webs, and one student raised their hand and said, “But I don’t have a culture.” This sparked a meaningful conversation about what culture truly means. We expanded our understanding to include school culture, artistic and musical communities, sports teams, workplaces, and even government structures. This discussion helped students recognize the many cultures they belong to and broaden their perspective on identity.

You can also ask students:

• What do you notice about the characters in the story?
• Have you ever felt like you had to choose between different parts of yourself?
• Why do you think it’s important to embrace all aspects of who we are?

Use the information from the discussion to: 

• Draw a web on the board with “Who I Am” in the center.
• Model by adding words like “Artist,” “Sister,” “Friend,” “Soccer Player,” etc.
• Have students create their own identity webs with words and/or picture
•  Students draw a self-portrait with three different things they love about themselves.
• Older students can write a short paragraph or poem about how they can be “all three” (or more!).
• Invite students to share their work with a partner or the class.
• Reinforce the message: We don’t have to choose just one identity—we can be many things at once!

A full lesson plan will be available soon! Stay tuned.