2023 Global Children’s Book Club

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I am so happy to be releasing the details and book titles for the 2023 Global Children’s Book Club! We can’t wait to be “traveling” around the world to 6 different countries through books this year and hope you’ll join us!

What is the 2023 Global Children’s Book Club?

This year, we’ll be virtually visiting 6 countries by way of children’s literature, with 6 mid-upper elementary/middle grade novels and 6 picture books. Each country will span two months, with a chapter book and picture book for each.

Below are the countries we’ll be exploring. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full book list!

January/February: Palestine
March/April: Ghana
May/June: Japan
July/August: Argentina
September/October: Sri Lanka
November/December: Jamaica

What is the 2023 GCBC Participation Schedule?

There will be a few group activities each month that go along with the country and books. These group activities will all take place on Instagram.

  • 1st Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September, November: Picture book read aloud
  • 1st Wednesday of February, April, June, August, October, December: Recipe Cook Along
  • Last Wednesday of every month: Chapter book discussion (2 discussions per country)

What Age is Best for the Global Children’s Book Club?

The picture books are primarily geared to kids ages 4-8. The chapter books are primarily geared to kids ages 7-14.

That said, I try hard to read books that appeal to a wide variety of ages and interests. In the past, we’ve had families with a range of ages enjoy participating. Some with infants have joined to get a jump on reading to their little ones, and families with teens have loved books targeted to 1st graders. I personally will be reading the picture books aloud to all my kids (ages 0-12), and will be reading the chapter books aloud to my older 4 kids (ages 5-12).

As an adult, I honestly love reading them all myself. So even if you don’t have kids, you’re welcome to join!

How Much Does the GCBC Cost?

To keep diverse reading accessible and exciting for families of all situations, the Global Children’s Book Club is 100% free. I also did my very best to choose books that would be readily available at local libraries. (And did you know you can generally request your library purchase books it does not currently own? More details here.)

How Do I Join the Book Club?

You can sign up for the book club by entering your email below. You’ll get monthly updates and reminders about the upcoming books, reading schedule, and occasional extras. You’ll also be the first to receive info on a few simple bonus activities to connect with the featured country.

Join the 2023 Global Children’s Book Club

    We promise not to spam you – unsubscribe at any time.



    2023 Global Children’s Book Club Book List

    Here are the books we’ll be reading this year!

    January/February: Palestine

    Picture Book: Halal Hot Dogs by Susannah Aziz (Author), Parwinder Singh (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    Chapter Books: Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    March/April: Ghana

    Picture Book: Grandma’s List by Portia Dery (Author), Toby Newsome (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop

    Chapter Books: Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    May/June: Japan

    Picture Book: Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites by Debbi Michiko Florence (Author), Jamie Michalak (Author), Yuko Jones (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    Chapter Books: Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence (Author), Elizabet Vukovic (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Walmart

    July/August: Argentina

    Picture Book: On the Pampas by Maria Cristina Brusca (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Walmart

    Chapter Books: Shaking Up the House by Yamile Saied Méndez (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    September/October: Sri Lanka

    Picture Book: The ABCs of Sri Lanka by Siddhartha Padmanabha (Author), Nimmi Ponnambalam (Author), Nila Perez (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop

    Chapter Books: The Boy Who Met A Whale by Nizrana Farook (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    November/December: Jamaica

    Picture Book: Anna Carries Water by Olive Senior (Author), Laura James (Illustrator)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Walmart

    Chapter Books: When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten (Author)
    Purchase: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart

    IF YOU LIKED THIS POST WITH DETAILS ON THE 2023 GLOBAL CHILDREN’S BOOK CLUB, YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE POSTS TOO:

    NOT READY TO JOIN THE BOOK CLUB JUST YET? PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!

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