Character Names I'd Jack for my Kids

This delightful trope was stolen from Madeleine Rex over at Word Bird. The trope seems to be doing girl names (or doing both genders seperately) but I've decided to do them together, partly because I like the trend of mixed-gender naming. So just because it's a boy character doesn't mean I'd only name a boy that, or vice versa. Without further ado, here are some names I would totally jack for my kids.

Peter
From Peter Pan, of course. Not only do I adore this book and character and think reading Peter Pan to a kid named Peter would basically make my life, it's also a family name. I would've been named Peter if I were a boy, after my Uncle (who died long before I was born, but everyone loved him). Funny thing, I used to absolutely hate this name.

Charmain
Charmain Baker, from House of Many Ways. Not only is this name unique and beautiful, it also sounds like Charming and Charlemagne, so I'd give it to either gender. And there's a Peter in this book, too, so if I have twins, Charmain and Peter would make a good pair of names.

Caspian
From the Chronicles of Narnia. I unashamedly adore this name. Just the sound of it. And I rather liked the character, too. Another name that could be paired with Peter.

Sunshine
From Sunshine. Would I really name a kid this? You bet I would. My obsession with this book runs very deep. Runner-up names, in order of preference - Mel, Rae, Constantine. I'd feel weird naming a kid Constantine, and not just because it's out of fashion. Mel, for a boy, would be nice.

Robin
As in Robin Hood, from The Outlaws of Sherwood. Also, Robin Goodfellow (A.K.A. Puck) from Midsummer Night's Dream. Also, Robin McKinley, who is not a character but an author, and not any author but one of my absolute favorites.

Phineas
From A Seperate Peace. It's just a cool name, and everyone loves The Wonka.

Jean
Jean Valjean, from Les Miserables. Except I insist on pronouncing it wrong, like the material.

Any Name from As You Wish
Including Jinn, Viola, and Lawrence. The name Viola came from Twelth Night, and Lawrence from Romeo and Juliet. Jinn I just love, and jinn are one of my favorite creatures. I'm also partial to the author's name, Jackson Pearce, either of which I can imagine making lovely first names.

Any Name used by S. E. Hinton. Ever.
Seriously. Especially Sodapop, Jamie, and Rusty-James.

There you have it! I'd better have a bundle of kids. (More likely, the less unique of these names will be dispersed among my characters eventually, and since I'm not letting my kids and characters share names, my poor children will get the crazy ones.)

So, what character names would you bestow on your children? (And what are you going to say when they come home crying because the kids at school tease them?) I'd love to see a guy blogger chime in one this - girls can get crazy about baby names, but you guys must have ideas, too! Please link if you steal, these are so fun!

Review: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Amazon Product Description:
“Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.”

I was excited to find this retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” in my library. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my risk-taking was rewarded: this is a truly masterful retelling.

The lass, who for the better part of the book doesn’t have a name, is a interesting and compelling character. She is tough, curious, and clever, and does things I would not dream of doing. Her relationship with her brother, Hans-Peter, her pet wolf, and the polar bear really bring out the best of her character. If she’s at times a little brash and foolish - well, I love her for it. The emotions and motivations were so well played that I rarely found myself questioning her.

The book follows the plotline of the original tale astoundingly closely (with embellishment, of course). One thing that I find I can rarely say of retellings - it felt like the narrative spent just enough time in each place. The plot moved along pretty quickly. I can’t think of any time at which it became tedious or when I wanted more description. (If the author’s note is to be believed, this is reputably the work of fantastic editing.)

George’s style has an almost lyrical quality well suited to fairytales. The description is rich, but not laborious. She handled both bright and bitter moments with finesse. The dialogue is spot-on, especially the little exchanges between the lass and her wolf. Norwegian and Old Norse words pepper the story in just the right amounts, though if you’re bad with names like me you may start to confuse the lass’ many siblings.

I will definitely be seeking out more books by this author. The fact that she’s done a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses has a little less than it might to do with that. Sun and Moon won’t be kicking any books off my top five, but it’s definitely worth reading, probably multiple times.

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Style: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5