My Name Is Hamburger

by Jacqueline Jules

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.

Genres: Jewish, Middle Grade, Novel In Verse

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2022

About the author

I am a children's author, teacher, librarian, and poet. My books include the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Pluto is Peeved, Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, Duck for Turkey Day, Never Say a Mean Word Again, and Feathers for Peacock. Please visit me at http://www.jacquelinejules.com

Reviews

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I loved this uplifting and highly readable novel-in-verse that kept me turning the pages. My heart broke out at the bullying and discrimination that Trudie faced, even from adults who should know better (do they?). Not only does the author tackle difficult topics in an engaging manner, we also get to see how people shun what they do not understand and their ignorance even when not malicious.

The protagonist's voice felt so authentic and I enjoyed her growth. What really got me in the feels was the community spirit, togetherness and people showing up for one another in times of adversity.

Overall, an emotional and important read that I would recommend to all.

[L.M. Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, engaging, and poetic story about kindness, hope, and family overcoming prejudice. Writing in first person, Jaqueline Jules infuses main character Trudie with the sincere and compassionate voice readers know her for, as she paints small town Virginia 1962 with compelling authenticity. Trudie’s quiet heroism--and her affect on others--is wonderfully inspiring.

[Pamela Ehrenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book is a gift to every ten-year-old who thinks they're the only one who doesn't fit in. The narrator's internal life is so vivid that she could easily be from any era, including our own. Young readers ISO a friend (i.e., all young readers!) will find a delightful one in the pages of this gorgeous novel!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...I can't trust all people to be good, but not everyone is bad."

[Gail Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in the midwest in the 1950s and 1960s, I was exposed to a great deal of antisemitism. We were taught to be very careful about what we said or did, to remain conscious of who was around us at all times. Tucking the Star of David into my dress is a concept I well understand.

When I was five years old, an older boy in my neighborhood told me that I should tell my Daddy that he is a kike. My childish brain processed that differently, never having heard the word before, and I went and asked my Daddy why in the world somebody would call him a KITE?

Many such experiences followed as I grew. Just as with Trudie in the book, there was a country club in my city where Jews could not belong. I was a Candystriper in high school and our awards banquet was held there. My best friend and I felt such secret glee at being in this place where we weren’t welcome! It got to the point where I interpreted as antisemitism the motivations of everybody whenever I confronted social barriers or rejection, without even determining if my beliefs were valid.

So this book spoke to me on many levels, evoking my own childhood experiences – not just of antisemitism, but of feeling left out socially, being neglected by parents, and other common emotions of the pre-teen years. In the most lyrical style, which in itself is sheer joy to read, Ms Jules addresses how Trudie reacts to her mother and how she experiences sibling rivalry. Her writing is very descriptive but in an evocative way rather than by stringing together flowery adjectives. You are left to realize on your own the point that she is making. I have preserved several such examples, but I will share just one, where Trudie is speaking about her little brother at their Friday night dinner table:
“He knows there’s grape juice
when the song is over,
and he waits with big brown eyes,
looking sweet, like the baby brother
I wanted when Momma first
told me he was coming.”

Behind the flow of the author’s delightful writing, behind the familiar childhood sense of alienation Trudie expresses, behind the pattern of antisemitism to which her entire family is constantly being exposed, there is an unexpected hidden dimension which is only revealed to us slowly as the book comes to an end. I once told a therapist that I had had a dream in which I was in my room and my family was elsewhere in the house, and the door to my room was locked. She perceptively asked, “From the inside or from the outside?” We learn along with Trudie, as events unfold, that a person can project onto others antisemitic thoughts and actions that turn out not to be the case. A person can be shut away from others due to her own mindset, which might not be based in reality. You can erase yourself in the absolute belief that you are being erased by others.

I recommend this book most highly, and not just to pre-teens. Parents and teenagers will also have mind-expanding reactions to reading it and sharing Trudie’s dawning realization that most people in the world are actually good and actually care about others.

[Terry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Hamburger is a poignant, beautifully crafted novel in verse about the daughter of a refugee from the Holocaust living in southern Virginia. The only Jew in her elementary school, Trudie Hamburger puts up with taunting from the class bully, being excluded from birthday parties at a country club which does not accept Jews, but what hurts most of all is that Trudie won’t sing the words to the religious songs the new music teacher has the class sing during the holidays and she gets in trouble for it. What is even more troubling is that the school’s reaction is to suggest that Trudie not go to music anymore, instead, she should go to the library, making her even more different from the rest of her classmates. Despite Trudie’s troubles, though, the book is a book of hope. When Trudie’s father is hurt in a freak accident, the community comes together to help the family. Trudie realizes that although there are some people who may turn away when someone needs help, there are many who came to the family’s aid. When Trudie wins the trophy for having read the most books in her class, she has something to celebrate. She can hold her head a little higher, and the bully’s taunts don’t bother her as much, because she knows that she has true friends.

[Tracy Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Name Is Hamburger is a beautiful historical middle grade novel in verse about a Jewish girl named Trudie Hamburger who is teased at her southern Virginia school for being different from her Christian peers. Readers will root for Trudie, a very likeable protagonist, as she learns to take pride in who she is and stands up for herself and others. The family relationships in this story, especially her relationship with her German-born father who survived the Holocaust, is especially touching, as is the friendship that develops between Trudie's family and a Korean family who are new in town. This would make a great addition to any middle grade classroom or library and would lend itself well to being read as a class.

[Jane Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book from the prolific Jacqueline Jules, this one a middle grade novel in verse. My Name is Hamburger, set in the 1960s south and based on Jules’ own experiences, gives the reader a child’s-eye view of what it is like growing up with discrimination and bullying. Trudie, the protagonist, is Jewish and must navigate both overt and systemic anti-Semitism in her community. To help her through tough times she relies on family and friends, one of whom is experiencing anti-Asian bullying. The verse form makes this an easy read, the spare language conducive to creating empathy while keeping the content from feeling too heavy. This story is as relevant as ever and should be shared widely.

[Sally Zakariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving story about a fourth-grade girl who is the only Jewish student in her school. Any young person who has ever felt "different" and faced isolation and bullying because of religion, race, or, really, anything should take heart from Trudie Hamburger's experience. In charming, accessible poems, Trudie tells about being teased for her name and background and vows to impress the other students by reading the most books and excelling at the school spelling bee. Along the way readers learn a little about Judaism, a little about history, and a lot about personal determination. Highly recommended.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Trudie Hamburger, and how she learns to embrace and love her Jewish and German heritage in an almost entirely white Christian school, in 1962. This books goes over some very serious topics such as antisemitism and discrimination, but also mixed with some humor, and definitely one of the best historical fiction books of the year. I may even add this to my best books of 2022 list, though I'm not sure. Either way, this sweet coming of age story should be on the shelfs of classrooms everywhere. If you want to know some of the other books on my best books of 2022 list, or have recommendations, please give me a comment, because I cannot bear to run out of good books. 🙏😉

[Mary Amato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jules did a beautiful job of weaving all the components of story into this novel in verse. Fascinating characters, deep desires, tension, conflicts, and big and little triumphs. Each poem has just the right tone and length and each line is crafted so lovingly. The emotional story centers around a young girl and her journey to understand and to embrace her Jewish identity in a setting that includes overt anti-semitism. I can imagine it stimulating wonderful discussions in book groups and classrooms.

[Freddie Levin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this sweet, poignant middle grade novel about a Jewish girl who struggles with feeling different in a school where she is a minority of one. Her loving family gives her a safe place that allows her to navigate universal questions about friendship, school bullies, being comfortable with who you are and to empathize with others who might feel different too. It will be released by Kar-Ben in October and PJOurway in August.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful middle grade book for children who do not think they fit in. I loved how it was written with honesty and feeling but in stanza form.

[Michelle Smith-Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Jules, writes a powerful novel about a girl of German and Jewish heritage who is trying to find her place in the 1960s American life that she is living as a young child. Often this Jewish girl, Trudie, is bullied by Daniel Reynolds, an intolerant boy with a knack for making her feel different and small. Trudie finds ways to avoid Daniel, but over time a new boy moves into her neighborhood named Jae-yong, who goes by "Jack," and because he is from Korea, he becomes the new target for the bullies in Trudie's school to pick on. Trudie is relieved that she is no longer going to be picked on, but after spending some time with Jack and his family, Trudie decides being Jack's (Jae-yong's) friend is more important than worrying about not being picked on at school. A series of unfortunate accidents in Trudie's family also leads to Jack's parents helping Trudie's parents with their business deliveries and the two families share in creating community for one another.

This book is about the good and bad in all people, including the histories of so many immigrant families that came to America following the world wars. I enjoyed the verse format of this book because it was easy to read and added to the diversity of this story. I think this book could serve as a way to teach children to discuss diversity in others as a good thing not as something to be used to bully others. Jules has created a masterpiece of poetry story-telling genius! I read this book in one night because the words just flowed and the story was so easy to get caught up reading until the end.

[Catherine Reef · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this verse novel, Jacqueline Jules explores with sensitivity the joys and worries that can loom large in childhood. Fourth-grader Trudie Hamburger likes to stand out as a star speller and reader, but when it comes to having a last name that invites teasing, and to being the only Jewish child in her school—well, she wishes she could simply blend in.

Trudie and her family face a greater, more immediate challenge when her quietly courageous father is badly injured in a fall. As friends and neighbors come to the family’s aid, Trudie discovers her place in the community and learns to take pride in every aspect of her individuality, especially, perhaps, her name.

Jules’s free verse is accessible and graceful in its simplicity. Each poem allows her to focus on an aspect of her tale, which is set in the early 1960s, before the Beatles landed in America, or on Trudie’s thoughts and feelings. Her images linger: Trudie and her best friend, Lila, as two babies on a blanket and later as middle-grade girls dancing to Brenda Lee records; a popsicle leaving a “frozen rainbow” on Trudie’s tongue; Trudie and Lila, after being bombarded with water balloons by mischievous boys, “fly[ing] off like birds with wet feathers, / our feelings soaked.” In My Name Is Hamburger, Jules evokes a child’s world in a way that always feels authentic.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacqueline Jules - well-published poet and prolific children's book author - has created a beautiful, poignant, middle-grade historical novel in verse about the travails of a fourth-grade girl growing up as the only Jewish child in small-town Virginia in 1962. Trudie Hamburger is teased by bullying classmates for her Jewish identity, for her refugee father's German accent, and for a last name that means "chopped meat." She's also excluded from a so-called friend's birthday party at a country club that denies admission to Jews and forced to choose between absenting herself from music class (although she loves to sing) or singing Christian songs in a betrayal of her own faith. But MY NAME IS HAMBURGER is in the end a deeply hopeful book about resilience under adversity and the unexpected goodness of flawed human beings in the face of tragedy. As Trudie learns to find her own voice, both as singer and as someone secure in her own identity, young readers will learn about the pain of prejudice but also be inspired by the beauty of genuine friendship, supportive community, and victory over threats to one's self-respect. I am a better person for having read this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacqueline Jules's novel in verse MY NAME IS HAMBURGER is a wonderful middle-grade introduction to the Jewish-American experience. In the book, young Trudie is the only Jewish child in the small Virginia school she attends. We see through Trudie's eyes what it's like to be different than her peers. Some of her neighbors are thoroughly kind, others are kind but clueless about the hurtful things they accidently say, and others are outright antisemitic. There's plenty of Jewish joy, too. I think most American Jews who attended public school outside of NYC or L.A. will identify with her expereinces. There are a couple brief, non-graphic mentions of the Holocaust, and while there's bullying, there's no direct violence. There's connection to the experience of being a refugee, and issues of racism, too. The lyrical writing and the gentle tone make the harsh realities confronted by Trudie a bit easier for a kid to digest. The book reminded me a bit of Thanhha Lai's INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN and Chris Baron's writing.

[Tracey Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an ARC of this wonderful, lyrical middle-grade novel in verse.

It's 1962 in a small town in the south, and Trudie Hamburger is the only Jewish girl in her school, adn the only one with a last name meaning "chopped meat." She has a loving, tight-knit family ("On Friday night, my family feels braided like the challah bread Momma baked in the morning.") and supportive friends and teachers. But she's also taunted relentlessly by the class bully and struggles with her heritage in a town where everyone is different from her and stereotypes abound. "Everybody knows Jewish people are brainy," her best friend tells her.

The author's soothing, poetic language complements Trudie's difficult journey, and you'll be rooting for her as she becomes more comfortable with her identity.....and her last name. As her mother tells her when she receives her first piece of jewelry, a Jewish star:

“Keep it special against your heart,”
she says. “A private reminder
of who you are and what
you believe in.”

[Elisa Carbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vivid, lyrical writing drew me into Trudy’s world from the very first page. The story is fun, at times funny, and yet makes clear the everyday injustices that were part of the times — like when Trudy’s friend is invited to a birthday party at the Country Club, “where Jewish girls like me are not allowed.” Trudy is a character to care deeply about as she navigates fourth grade bullies, loves her family and her traditions, and finds a way to love herself even in her different-ness.

[Noa Nimrodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trudie will win your heart from the very first page of this beautifully written novel in verse.
Set in Virgina in the 1960's, ‘My Name is Hamburger’ completely pulls the reader into the time and place of the story. I felt for Trudie every step of the way—as she experienced antisemitism, as she confronted her fears, and as she eventually found the way to be proud of who she is.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and timely.