Jaquitla Knight

Little Zee Jaquitla Knight

When Zee attends Shady Tree Elementary on the first day, for the first time, she is nervous about introducing herself to the class. As she looks at her classmates names the teacher has so kindly displayed as a welcome, Zee realizes her name is the only one that stands out. Thanks to its 'strange' spelling. When it her turn to tell her name to the class, her name tag gets all the attention. Before Zee could tell her name, the class complains and makes comments about it based on her tag. Their snickers and remarks embarrassed Zee. The following day, a new classmate joins the class. A meddlesome little girl determined to learn Zee's name after she hears from the other students it's strange. She asks Zee a series of questions, prying deeper and deeper to learn how Zee's name came to be and what it might be.
In the end, with the help of her teacher and that spunky Jinaki, Zee learns that name are different, reflecting different cultures and races. Some are common and some are unusual. Zee then makes a change and learns to stand up for her name.