A batch of fan mail helps brighten the New Year.

It always warms the heart to read something like: I loved your book My Name is Sangoel. However at least ninety percent of the letters begin or end this way. So I remain a little skeptical.

Some get deeper into the literary criticism : I love your book because it *have* so many good details.

You have a very good book!

Is there going to be a second book? (Sequels and series books are hugely popular…why can’t I write some?)

I love your book because of the pictures. (Never mind that I did not illustrate it).

Sometimes there is just too much information: My name Stella it means star in Italian. I am not Italian but my parents had *there* honeymoon there. HMMMM.

All kids in 2nd and 3rd grade like their names if it has only three letters: Sam, Leo, Ana

More kids than you might think have a family name they hate but Mom or Dad will not let them change it.

And like Cooper, Luke has a problem. His name “can *sowned* like puke”.

Then there is the wisdom but let’s not be too confident: I like the moral(which I think it is) don’t make fun of *pepoles* names. (See above)

Your book shows your name is unique and makes you who you are (ahh so think again about poor Cooper and Luke).

At least one reader has a middle name of one of his ancestors “who came over to Ellis Island, New York, NY but as far as I know is sadly *Dedd*.

The kid “named after a famous singer” Prince, has problems too. “Everybody in 3 grade calls me Princess”.

The book is very good because it makes you learn a lesson. The lesson is that it makes you be nice and trust yourself.

My favorite critical literary analysis of My Name is Sangoel:

I like the book because it *say* you can do anything and it does not matter where you are from! ( I could not have said it better myself).