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 is “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin. Beautiful illustrations, too!

  2. Right now, with a preschooler, we like ‘I Love You All Day Long’ by Francesca Rusackas!

  3. I can’t pick just one but I would say that _Ramona Quimby, Age 8_ is in my top 10 percent!
    My little Edith loves _Today is Monday_ by Eric Carle.

  4. I will say that _The Big Orange Splot_ by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is my favorite

  5. One of my favourite books when I was a child was “Each Peach Pear Plum” by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. I think I just about knew it off by heart!

  6. Oooh, I’d love to win. I can’t stop buying my kids books – especially at thrift stores and through the Scholastic book club.

    I will pick ‘The Gruffalo’ by Julia Donaldson as a favourite. I’ve bought it as a birthday party gift several times, as it’s by a British author and so I hope that my American friends don’t already own it.