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My Name is Freedom

by Winifred Loving; Illustrated by Ivan Butcher II

22 pages; Saddle stitched; catalogue #06-2386; ISBN 1-4251-0628-5; US$14.00, C$16.10, EUR11.50, £8.05

Do you have a funny name? Have you suffered because your name is weird? Don't worry. You can be a hero... like Freedom... a little girl on an important mission!

About the Book

What's in a name? Choosing a baby's name can lead to certain problems as the child grows. Take Freedom, for example. A glorious concept - but when this 10-year-old is confronted with taunts by her peers, she has to research her name, and find solace in her own discoveries. Now, will the neighborhood kids stop teasing her?

What about her sisters? How are they coping? What would you do if you had a name like theirs?

How do you feel about your name? Ecstatic? Proud? Or is your name a source of pain for you?

Meet Freedom's family and help find a name for their new unborn brother!

About the Author

Winifred Marie Loving was born on April Fools' Day, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts. Way back then, nobody had ever heard of Winifred as a cool name! Even now, it's still not cool. Okay, I digress. Sorry. Ms. Loving received a BA in Sociology from Newton College of the Sacred Heart/Boston College, and a MSEd Specializing in Early Childhood Development from Wheelock College. She took the pen-name of Oyoko while living in Ghana. Oyoko means 'Member of a royal clan.' She has traveled extensively and enjoys meeting people with interesting names.

In 1984, Ms. Loving taught school in London as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher, and once shared a luncheon table with Princess Diana! She's been impossible ever since. (Just kidding)

After a 30-year teaching career in St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, loving Ms. Loving basks in the beauty of her favorite island, writing poetry, enjoying gospel music, cooking up a storm, and embracing the hues and views of every spectacular sunset from her patio.

Ms. Loving is the author of Remember When, a book of poems.

Ms. Loving is married to Inglore Westerman, (she even attracts weird names!) and they spend considerable time on their tiny sailboat, Beguiled Again.

Winifred Marie 'Oyoko' Loving has a daughter, Khema, and a son, Jonathan.

Excerpts