Exploring Mexico: Family Dinner Book Club

Our year-long Around the World Family Dinner Book Club is coming to an end. This month we are traveling to  Mexico.

Now, just because Around the World Family Dinner Book Club is coming to an end, doesn’t mean Family Dinner Book Club is ending.  In fact, we are super excited for the 2018 year of Family Dinner Book Club.

Each month we have ideas to plan your menu, make table decoration crafts, have great conversations about the book and complete a family service project below. We have thought of everything you could need to make your dinner a success!  Get a copy of the featured book and join in on the fun.

If you are new to Family Dinner Book Club, here is a little background on the club.

Family Dinner Book Club is a monthly book club for families.

• 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.

Please 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.

And, if you would like to be notified when the next Family Dinner Book Club selection is ready, sign up HERE.

Now, let’s jump right to the details!

Exploring Mexico

Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

The Book

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Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto is read in our house every Christmas Eve as we prepare our traditional tamales.  This is the story of a little girl who puts on her mother’s ring and then thinks she loses it in the masa dough.  What will she and her cousins do?

More Books

If you are looking for more books to read about Mexico, check out these books from Inspired by Family.—>See the List

Topics

Here are six conversation starters to get your dinner dialogue started.  Just click on the link below for a one-page document 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

What is the best way to handle a situation if you make a mistake?

What was Maria’s problem in the story?  How did she solve it?

Why do you think the author chose the title Too Many Tamales for the book?

Does your family have any special traditions for the holidays?

How do you think Maria felt when she discovered the ring was missing?

Find Mexico on a map.  Where is it located compared to where you live?

Family Service Project

In this month’s book there is a big focus on family and traditions. This month create a new tradition in your family that will serve others each December.

Perhaps you will make cookies to deliver to your neighbors like we do.  Or, you might make holiday cards to send to service men or women. Maybe you will visit a soup kitchen each December and spend the day serving others.

Brainstorm as a family and create a new tradition that will continue to give year after year.

Activity and Menu

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

Then, check out the tie-in table activity at Sunny Day Family.—>click here for activity

More Resources About Mexico

Mexico Country Profile from National Geographic for Kids

Are you ready to hold your own Family Dinner Book Club with your family? Remember that we want to see pictures of your dinner.  Please share them our special Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.

See the 2018 line-up for the year.—>2018 Family Dinner Book Club Line-Up

And, join us again next month for another Family Dinner Book Club when we will focus on the character strength of teamwork.