First published 2005
Janie Tuttle has always wondered about her ridiculously long full name with its 500 middle names. When she finally gets the courage to ask her adoptive parents about it, she uncovers a mystery that reaches back to her earliest years. Her investigation leads her to discover connections to other children who share pieces of her extended name. As Janie digs deeper into records and follows clues, she realizes her name is more than just an oddity. It serves as a map to understanding who she really is and where she came from. The search forces Janie to confront difficult questions about identity, belonging, and what makes a family real. Her journey to decode the meaning behind her 500 middle names becomes a journey to decode herself.
Genres: fiction, family, mystery, contemporary, adoption, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity-crisis
Paperback · Scholastic Inc.