Exploring Africa: Family Dinner Book Club

Travel around the world with our Family Dinner Book Club .  This year we are traveling the world in Around the World Family Dinner Book Club and our third stop is Africa.

We have lots of ideas to plan your menu, make table decoration crafts, have great conversations about the book and complete a family service project. We have thought of everything you could need to make your dinner successful!  So, grab a copy of the book and join in on the fun.

Full Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

Are you new to Family Dinner Book Club? Here is a little background… Family Dinner Book Club is a monthly book club for your family.

• On the first of each month, we provide all the details for your dinner.
• Sarah from Chef Sarah Elizabeth shares a themed menu to compliment the book.
• Laura from Sunny Day Family shares easy table crafts.
• And, I will share conversation starters and a service project for your family.

We invite you to share a picture from your dinner with us anytime during the month on our Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.  Plus, you will want to follow along there for more bonus ideas to use with the books each month.

Now, on to all of the details!

Africa: Anna Hibiscus

Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

The Book

[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”500″ identifier=”1935279734″ locale=”US” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/51w9z6n34FL.jpg” tag=”groboobyboo-20″ width=”328″]

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke gives us a flavor of life in Africa as we learn about Anna’s big family.

More Books

If you are looking for an alternate picture book or more books to read about Africa, I recommend the following titles.  There are so many great books that are set in Africa.

These three books are all about Wangari and are interesting to read as a trio to compare them.
[easyazon_link identifier=”0152065458″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Wangari’s Trees[/easyazon_link] of Peace by Winter (easier)
[easyazon_link identifier=”160060367X” locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Seeds of Change[/easyazon_link] by Johnson (longer, more about Wangari’s science background, beautiful pictures)
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00EFGYGUA” locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Planting the Trees of Kenya[/easyazon_link] by Nivola (beautiful illustrations and good overview of the topic)

I also loved [easyazon_link identifier=”0399172580″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]The Water Princess[/easyazon_link] by Susan Verde.  It’s about a girl who dreams of bringing clean water to her people.

Topics

Here are six conversation starters to get your dinner book club rolling.  Just click on the link below for a one-page file that you can print and then cut apart.  Use the cards on your chosen dinner night.  You, of course, don’t have to use all of them or you may even have some other discussion points that developed while you were reading.  These are just meant to be a guide. Enjoy your dinner conversation!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE SET OF CONVERSATION STARTERS

Anna decided to sell oranges one day.  How did this impact the other girls trying to sell oranges?

Describe Anna’s house compared to your house.

Anna’s family loves to spend time with their relatives.  What kinds of things does your extended family like to do together?

Anna’s family blends modern conveniences with traditional elements of Africa.  Name some of each.

Anna really wants to see snow.  Have you seen snow?  If so, what do you like about it?

Some of Anna’s family lives in Africa and some in Canada.  Where do your family members live?

Family Service Project

A strong theme throughout Anna Hibiscus is the importance of family.  This month, reach out to an extended family member.  Possible connection ideas might include:

• Invite extended family members over for your Family Dinner Book club this month.
• Skype or use FaceTime with a family member you don’t talk to very often.
• Write a letter or send a picture to a family member.
• Visit an extended family member’s residence.

Table Decorations and Menu

Now, head over to Chef Sarah Elizabeth to get the menu.—>click here for the menu

Then, check out the table craft at Sunny Day Family.—>click here for the table craft

More Resources for Exploring Africa

A specific country in Africa isn’t identified in Anna Hibiscus.  Africa is a very large continent that has a varying climate, landscape, languages spoke, history, and socioeconomic classes.

The author, Atinuke, is from Nigeria.—>Read more about Atinuke.

National Geographic has some interesting resources for learning more about the continent.

South Africa

Ghana

Nigeria

Check out this video on African animals.

Around the World Family Dinner Book Club FREE Planner

The very talented Laura from Sunny Day Family has put together a fantastic Family Dinner Book Club planner for you.  This FREE resource comes with a book list, a planning guide (grocery list, supplies, needed, etc.), a passport sheet you can stamp for each country visited, and a world map to mark the countries you visited.

CLICK HERE to Get Your FREE 2017 Family Dinner Book Club Planner

Clicking on the link above will take you to a screen to enter your email address.  The planner will be emailed to you immediately.  You will also receive the weekly Growing Book by Book newsletter.

We hope you are inspired to hold your own Family Dinner Book Club with your family. Remember that we want to see pictures of your dinner.  Please share them on our special Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.

See all the books being featured this year and join us all year long.—>Around the World Family Dinner Book Club Line-Up

And, join us again next month for another Family Dinner Book Club when we will travel to the Netherlands and read [easyazon_link identifier=”0374309221″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Boxes for Katje[/easyazon_link].