Ask a child of the 1970s or 80s about the challenges of growing up with an unusual name, and she might tell you that she never had personalized pencils, the kind that Jennifer and Ashley always brought to class.

Not so in 2011. Or ever again, really. Clio might be a never-in-the-Top-1000 choice but thanks to clever, insanely cheap technology, the purple LeapFrog My Pal Violet knows how to say and spell her unusual name.

And then came Etsy. Aprons, notecards, lunchboxes, super-hero capes. You name it, and there’s a shop that can customize pretty much anything you can imagine.

Which brings me to those gorgeous images above. Those, dear reader, are custom bookplates, created by Kate of My Kids Eat Off the Floor, also the name of her blog and, speaking of names, she’s guest-posted here on Name Stories.

One lucky reader will win their very own set of 20 bookplates – four each of five designs in the collection of your choice: Woodland Friends, Modern Boy, or Whimsy. And, of course, the bookplates will be personalized with any name you choose.

Impatient? Don’t like your odds? You can also order any item for 10% off with discount code APPELLATION.

To enter, just leave a comment below with the name of your favorite children’s book!

Want a bonus entry? Just wait ’til Monday’s Nameberry post.

The winner will be chosen at random. Winners must have a US shipping address. The winner will be chosen at random, and be announced next Saturday, October 29, 2011.

Note: Comments are closed, and a winner will be announced later today.

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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67 Comments

  1. My favorite children’s book was Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. I also loved Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss.

  2. Wow. I was just thinking about the name Helena this morning. Weird. One of my favorite books as a child was What Happened to George? It’s about a pig who ate too many donuts. I could always relate to him. lol

  3. Those are very cute book plates – the woodland ones are especially sweet!

    But how does one pick ONE favorite book?

    Well, I think with my son, it’s “Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb” by Al Perkins… my daughter likes to listen to chapter books now, and I think her favorite so far was one I loved when I was little: “Heidi” by Johanna Spryi. The ultimate bedtime story for both my kids has been “Goodnight, Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. When the lights are off and it’s too dark to read, I recite it to my kids – the little one hears it just about every night and can join in for the majority of it already.

  5. I would like to win, please! Favorite children’s book though? That’s such a hard question! The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter, The Sneetches/The Lorax by Dr. Suess, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, A Baby Blessing by Welleran Poltarnees, and Little Hoot by Amy Crouse Rosenthal… That’s a top six, I’m sorry! I just keep thinking of more so I need to stop! I’m going to go with Little Hoot today, for cuteness.

  6. Hansel and Gretel was my favorite. I find that slightly creepy now given the ending. I also loved The Very Hungry Catepillar.

  8. It’s a tie between ‘Good Night Moon’ and ‘Hieronymus White’ by Jeff Moss for me. 🙂

  9. What a hard decision! Probably the first Boxcar Children book or anything Amelia Bedelia!

  10. Blueberries for Sal… love reading it to my grandsons… always takes me back.