Growing up with a name that people constantly fumble, mispronounce, or mock can take a toll on your self-esteem. For many people, especially Black women, the experience of having a “difficult” or “unique” name often comes with an unwanted burden. You have to constantly correct people, decide when to let it slide, and battle the subtle shame that can creep in when you don’t feel seen. Author, speaker, and digital truth-teller Luvvie Ajayi Jones is here to change that narrative for the next generation with her new children’s book, “Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name.”
“It feels good,” Ajayi Jones said, reflecting on how this project allows her to affirm children with names that the world doesn’t always know how to hold. “It’s what I set out to do… so many of us are the people whose names were never on the key chains or the mugs, and we might have been teased because of it. I think it’s important for kids to hear early on that their names are worth defending.”
The character, modeled after a younger Ajayi Jones, is teased on the first day of school for her name. When she corrects the classmate, she gets in trouble. Getting punished not for what someone does wrong, but for standing up for themselves if something many people can relate to.
Still, the story doesn’t leave her there. The book ends with something rarely seen in real life; an apology.
“I think a lot of times people never get apologized to,” Ajayi Jones shared. “So my hope is that it makes these little kids feel like, yeah, it can be wrong, and they can speak up for themselves, and when they do, they might even get an apology.”
Defending Your Name at Any Age
For Ajayi Jones, this story isn’t just for children, it’s for the adults too.
“I think I’ve been sharing this story with adults and a lot of adults are like, ‘I’m gonna buy this for me also.’ … I think we’re all just trying to heal our inner child,” she said.
It’s no surprise the emotional impact of this book is already resonating.
“Out of all the books I’ve written, I think this one has been the one that’s gotten the biggest emotional reaction from adults,” Ajayi Jones shared.
Black women are constantly navigating environments where they’re expected to shrink their presence, soften their voices, and even shorten or change their names. But “Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name” flips the script. It validates Black women’s bigness, boldness, and birthright to be known fully.
“Honestly,” Ajayi Jones reflected, “I feel like I’m writing these books to eight-year-old me… had she heard this, it would’ve made her feel so much more bold and so much more sure.”
In many ways, she described her writing process as reparenting herself.
“I am showing little Luvvie the patience, the love, the grace that I think so many of us deserve and deserve to get… One of the things about this character is that she will never be humbled,” she explained.
What’s Next For Luvvie Ajayi Jones
If you’re wondering what’s next for our Little Troublemaker, she’s not done yet. In 2026, the third installment, “Little Troublemaker Takes a Stand”, will follow little Luvvie as she confronts a bully and learns a few lessons herself in the process.
Whether you’re a parent, auntie, or just a grown Black woman on your own healing journey, “Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name” is more than just a children’s book, it’s a balm. A mirror. A bold reminder that your name is not just worth saying correctly, it’s worth defending.
Remember to say it with your chest. And when they say it wrong? Correct them. Every time.