Family Dinner Book Club Line-Up for 2016

Do you enjoy reading books with your kids?  Do you like to eat together as a family?  Do you want to build memories together?  Then, Family Dinner Book Club is for you!

2016 marks our 3rd year of sharing monthly dinner book clubs for you and your family.  Each month we share a book (alternating between chapter books and picture books), a themed menu, easy table crafts, conversation starters and a family service project that all compliment each month’s title.

There are a few new things coming in 2016.  First, we are announcing all the books ahead of time.  See the titles below. The books would make a great family gift this holiday!

Second, we are welcoming Laura from Sunny Day Family to our planning team.  Laura will be in charge of giving you easy craft ideas to decorate your table each month.  Sarah from Daisy at Home will continue to give you a wonderful themed menus.  And I will still provide conversation starters and a family service project ideas for each club.

You can also print out a schedule (see below) for the 2016 Family Dinner Book Clubs.   Hang it on the refrigerator.  Take it to the library.  Or, buy a few books on the list below for a family and include the whole schedule with your gift.  It’s the best holiday present I can think of this year.

2016 Family Dinner Book Club

Full Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

January- [easyazon_link identifier=”0062312189″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond[/easyazon_link]

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We are starting with a classic chapter book.  Paddington has traveled from Peru to London and is promptly adopted by the Brown family.  The marmalade-loving bear is full of adventure and mishaps as he moves in with the family.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS FOR A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB 

February- [easyazon_link identifier=”0399257748″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena[/easyazon_link]

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Every Sunday after church, a young boy and his grandmother take a bus across town.  The boy is full of questions as he wonders why he doesn’t have things that others have around him.  His grandmother helps him discover the beauty around them.  Ultimately, they end up at a soup kitchen and the young boy is glad he is there.  A beautiful story of volunteering and being appreciative.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS FOR LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

March- [easyazon_link identifier=”0312085125″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot[/easyazon_link]

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Oh, how my oldest son loved this collection of heart-warming stories.  The eight tales give us a glimpse of life in the rural countryside of Britain as a veterinarian who makes house calls to treat a variety of animals.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE JAMES HERRIOT’S TREASURY FOR CHILDREN FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

April- [easyazon_link identifier=”0544102290″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle[/easyazon_link]

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Drum Dream Girl is inspired by Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a young Cuban woman, who became the first woman drummer in her country.  It used to be considered taboo to be a woman drummer in Cuba, but Millo Castro Zaldarriaga changed that through her courage and determination.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS FOR DRUM DREAM GIRL FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

May- [easyazon_link identifier=”038070918X” locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary[/easyazon_link]

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Oh, how we love Beverly Cleary and all her fabulous books.  We have already celebrated her book, Runaway Ralph, in a past Family Dinner Book Club.

This time, we are having fun with Beezus and Ramona.  The story explores the ups and downs of being a big sister.  Having a little sister can be quite the handful.  How does Ramona deal with her preschool sister?

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS FOR RUNAWAY RALPH FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

June- [easyazon_link identifier=”0375868321″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins[/easyazon_link]

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Travel through four centuries with four families as they each make the same blackberry fool dessert.  Discover how making the dessert changes from the past to the present.  A recipe of blackberry fool is also included.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FINE DESSERT FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

July- [easyazon_link identifier=”1442423366″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee[/easyazon_link]

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Firefly and Cricket both have big dreams beyond their nations.  They venture out and not only meet each other but also Vole and a little giant named Peter.  These four creatures’ paths cross to help each other grow and spread their wings.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FIREFLY HOLLOW FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

August- [easyazon_link identifier=”044845694X” locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf[/easyazon_link]

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Ferdinand is the most peaceful bull you will meet.  He loves to sit and sniff the flowers under his favorite tree.  Five men encounter him and are under the impression he is the meanest bull of all and take him to a bullfight.  But, Ferdinand holds to his pacifist ways and refuses to fight in the ring.  It’s a classic that has been enjoyed by many generations.

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY OF FERDINAND FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

September- [easyazon_link identifier=”0312371446″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Dominic by William Steig[/easyazon_link]

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This is one of my son’s all-time favorite read-alouds.  You may not have even realized that Steig wrote a chapter book.  He is best known for picture books such as [easyazon_link identifier=”1442435607″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Sylvester and the Magic Pebble[/easyazon_link].

Dominic is a wise and kind dog who is on an adventure.  Along the way, he meets and helps various animals.  Each animal Dominic encounters helps him learn new things.

CLICK HERE FOR DOMINIC FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB DETAILS

October- [easyazon_link identifier=”0688040748″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]A Chair For My Mother by Vera B Williams[/easyazon_link]

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To compliment Fire Prevention Month, we have selected a Newbery Honor Book.  A family’s home is destroyed by a fire. Rosa, her mother and grandmother save enough coins to buy a chair that they will all be able to enjoy.  It’s a wonderful story of family and working together.

CLICK HERE FOR A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER DETAILS

November- [easyazon_link identifier=”1494915049″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett[/easyazon_link]

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Elmer Elevator sets off on an adventure to an island to rescue a dragon.  This baby dragon has been over-worked and under appreciated.  Elmer stows away on a ship to get to the creature.  My Father’s Dragon was a Newbery Honor book in 1948.

CLICK HERE FOR MY FATHER’S DRAGON FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

December- [easyazon_link identifier=”0547248296″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin[/easyazon_link]

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This non-fiction selection showcases Wilson Bentley and his passion for photographing snowflakes.  He discovered that no two snowflakes are alike and each one is beautiful.  Snowflake Bently won the 1999 Caldecott Medal.

CLICK HERE FOR SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

Are you as excited as we are?  Print out the schedule HERE.  And, we will see you January 1st, 2016 for the January Family Dinner Book Club details.

Join us in 2016 and start building memories with your family.  You will also want to enjoy our Facebook page that we created for the book club.  We share lots of extra tips and ideas each month on the page.  And, we invite you to share a picture of your dinner club each month there too.  Like the Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.