My Name Is Not Alexander

By Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin

A New York Times Bestseller!

Just How Big Can a Little Boy Dream?

Who is your hero?

Alexander takes a rip-roaring historical adventure! Through his imaginative journey, Alexander discovers how great men become heroes: the roughest rider can be surprisingly gentle, a strong leader is also the most peaceful, and sometimes, being brave about what makes you different will not only help you break records, but inspire others.

Join Alexander as he learns how these remarkable men changed the world and encouraged him to find the hero within himself.

"Clever text and exuberant illustrations makes this book a perfect way to introduce kids to historical figures."—Deborah Underwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Quiet Book

Recognition for My Name Is Not Isabella:

• National Parenting Publications Gold Award
• Gold Moonbeam Children's Book Award
• Silver ForeWord Book of the Year Award for Picture Boo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Release date: Mar 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781402254345

Jennifer Fosberry

Jennifer Fosberry is a science geek turned children' book writer. After working in the high tech industry in Silicon Valley and running away to Costa Rica for a few years, she returned to the San Francisco Bay area to read, write, and try to get out of housework. She lives with her husband and three children and her little dog, too.

Book preview

Reviews for My Name Is Not Alexander

[blt012 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great book about imagine. Could be used for history also. If you could be a famous history man/woman who would you be? Students would love it beacuse they could come up with whoever they wanted to be, using their imagination.

[abbieriddle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I loved this book as much as my children! My youngest son was fascinated by the pictures and the story of a little boy named Alexander. From waking in the morning till going to bed this little boy is constantly pretending to be someone else. After the second reading of this my little boy was reading it back. I really appreciated how the author included an biography page in the back describing each person that young Alexander was pretending to be. My son was asking who is Cheif Joseph, and Theodore....when we got to the end he loved the real life account of each person including birth and date of death. The book is full of imagination - and encourages children to take time to imagine what they will be when they grow up.
Thank you Sourcebook for this review copy.

[jlgadberry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary:Throughout the course of his daily routine, Alexander imagines that he is several great men of history (Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Chief Joseph, Fred Astaire, etc). At the end of the book, Alexander decides that he is content to be himself, but can contribute the attributes of these men to his own personality and who he wants to be as he grows up.Personal Reflection:I thought this was a cute book that reveals and draws upon the imagination of a child. It also showed great reflection of the main character as he realized that he could apply the things he admired to himself.Classroom Extension:-Would be useful in across multiple units involving the history of the men mentioned, however one would need to be careful as lack of previous knowledge (or time to discuss/review their importance) would great diminish the impact of this book and reduce it simply to a little boy with a strange imagination.-Could provide a good starting point to a creative writing or journal assignment.

[stephaniewhite_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This book introduces readers to a number of famous Americans as Alexander imagines himself in many different roles in history. Alexander pretends to be Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Chief Joseph, Fred Astaire, and Jackie Robinson as the story progresses. Each of these historical figures come alive in Alexander's imagination.Personal Reaction: I enjoyed this story and believe children would respond to the imaginative aspect, although I believe it might be best to introduce each of the historical figures first through a short biography so they would have some prior knowledge to draw upon.Classroom Extension Ideas: Teachers can invite students to imagine themselves as a favorite famous American then write and illustrate a story about that person's life. Students would also enjoy performing short skits of Alexander as each of his famous historical figures. Props from each time period would facilitate this activity.

[missymaya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My Name is Not Alexander is a fun book to introduce younger children to a few famous Americans. As a teacher I would use it for Kindergarten-2nd grade. The picture are interesting to look at. I think it invites children to use their imaginations and has a nice message about fathers.

[uribookworms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alexander keeps changing his name, to the names of famous men. My preschoolers don't know who these men are, but like the story anyway. I suppose they can relate to the name changing, and they are intrigued by the accomplishments of these famous men, even though they don't really understand that they are real people.

[ecebookworms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alexander keeps changing his name, to the names of famous men. My preschoolers don't know who these men are, but like the story anyway. I suppose they can relate to the name changing, and they are intrigued by the accomplishments of these famous men, even though they don't really understand that they are real people.

[hrheun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story. I think books that combine true heroes and sweet family relationships are simply fantastic. The illustrations really made the heroes come alive in a way that would make a child want to learn more about the history behind the person. Having a history connection in the book, makes this a good buy for both a child's collection and a classroom collection. This was a really great read.

[crteacher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My Name is Not Alexander is a great book for early elementary students. The young boy in the book keeps changing his name throughout the story to five different heroes of the past: Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Chief Joseph, Fred Astaire, and Jack Robinson. The book also includes a two-page spread at the end that details facts about each of these men and their achievements. My second-grade class enjoyed this book and were very interested in finding out more about these great men. This led to many of my students checking out books from our library to read more about each of these heroes of our past.

[verdelambton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My 6 year-old daughter and 4 year-old son both enjoyed this book. They found it amusing that the boy kept changing his name as it's the kind of thing they do all the time (obviously something the author was aware of!) and so they felt some level of connection there. However, they have not asked for a second reading. I am sorry to say that I am quite grateful for this because, unlike every other reviewer here, I didn't really enjoy this book much. If the kids don't request a further reading within the next couple of weeks (four weeks have passed already and they haven't so far so I'm afraid it doesn't bode well!), we'll donate it to one of the classroom libraries so that other kids can enjoy it.

[khrystibooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is delightful. The illustrations are very detailed, yet they sort of look as if they have been drawn with crayons. The story is educational, but also fun as it will encourage kids to use their imagination, whether about real people or not. There is a section in the back describing the feats of all the people Alexander pretends to be, including Daddy. This is done very well, straightforward and not "dumbed down". This book also ends with Alexander just being Alexander. I think this is great as kids should know that they are awesome just by themselves.

[sillykatgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is wonderfully illustrated and a creative way to introduce important people of history. I read this book to my class of 4 and 5 year olds. It held their interest, they laughed a lot and when it was over, they asked me to read it again! I especially liked the back pages where it lists mini-biographies for each of the characters Alexander was pretending to be.

[rsps_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"My name is not Alexander" is a fun picture book about the power of imagination. The rhythm and repetition of the story will appeal to young children, and they will enjoy the bright pictures. It also is nice to see a book where the child is spending quality time with a loving father -- so many picture books feature moms.

[vibrantminds · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book takes us on a journey through the imagination of a young boy. He becomes different characters from history as he goes throughout his day. It is a clever way to introduce famous individuals to children who otherwise may not know who they were. In the end the boy is back to being himself having all the attributes of the characters placed upon himself and dreaming of who he can be tomorrow. A fun book on how the notoriety of an individual can capture the imagination of a child and influence their life for the better.

[msthomas88 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a refreshing book about the power of imagination. Alexander spends his day being various historical figures. I enjoyed the people he decided to be. The book will introduce young people to a variety of interesting me. I had never even heard about Chief Joseph until I read this book. The book provides information on each person as well as resources in case kids want to learn more. I loved that not only did Alexander pretend to be these people but he felt that he could possess the qualities they have. I especially liked when he was Fred Astaire and he danced with his grandmother. Alexander is able to be brave like Jackie Robinson as well a smooth like Fred Astaire. The message is that children are not limited to acting in just one way. I also liked the father in this story, he as very encouraging of Alexander's play. He's dialogue was also kind of corny that reminded me of my own dad. I think this is an overall great book and can't wait to check out the first book My Name is not Isabella.