Read Around the World This Summer

INTERNATIONAL KID LIT PICKS 

Whether you're looking for a new book to explore together, a novel to fold into a library summer reading program, or a well-told story for a long road trip, here are some international kid lit books to add a splash of worldwide adventure:

Picture Books (ages 3–8)

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story: Lailah is old enough to participate in the month of fasting for the first time, but living in America makes it different. When classmates are confused about why she doesn't join them during lunch, a school librarian provides a quiet space for Lailah in the library.

Binny's Diwali: Binny finds the courage to tell her classmates about her favorite holiday, Diwali. This is a great book to discuss some differences between Hindus and Christians regarding religious beliefs.

Boxes for Katje: A Dutch girl receives a package in the mail from an American girl that sparks the beginning of a friendship and impacts an entire community.

The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters: Lin looks for her missing pet dragon. This book overflows with creativity and adventure!

The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field: Desiring to have a place to play soccer, some Thai boys figure out a way to build a soccer field—one that floats! My eight-year-old really enjoyed this book and read it three times!

The Yeti & the Jolly Lama: An old Tibetan tale told in a modern way. With a touch more religious themes, some debriefing may be necessary, but these are good conversations to have with our kids!

King for a Day: Experience a kite flying contest with Malik as he protects another from a bully in this picture book.

For You Are a Kenyan Child: Experience a day in a Kenyan countryside village with a boy caring for his family's cows, but gets distracted with other things. A fun read with beautiful artwork.

Cora Cooks Pancit: A delightful picture book that weaves the excitement a child has stepping into a big kid job with Filipino culture. 

Finding My Dance: Tells the story of a Native American professional dancer, Ria Thundercloud. Ria started dancing at powwows and as her love for dance grew, she explored other types of dancing. While it was challenging to be one of the only Indigenous dancers around, she never gave up. I think slightly older kids would glean more from this book. The storyline deals with bigger issues than preschoolers and early elementary students can fully track with (but they can certainly read it and benefit from it!) I would suggest ages 7-11.

Chapter Books (ages 6–10)

In Fear of the Spear: This Imagination Station book gives kids a glimpse into a South American tribe touched by the gospel. This book touches on the deaths of missionaries to this tribe, but doesn't dwell on it. Debriefing how the tribal people are referred to at different points may be helpful to cultivate respect for those who are different from us.

Sunlight on the Snow Leopard: Jack and Annie visit Nepal on a mission to find a ghost (part of the Magic Treehouse series).

The Belgium Book Mystery: Two sisters travel with their parents to Belgium to solve a mystery. This book is a quick read, but gives a glimpse into life in Belgium.

Captain Coconut & the Case of the Missing Bananas: The perfect dose of silly while still folding in mystery, math, singing, and culture for young readers.

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case (Precious Ramotswe Mysteries for Young Readers): From the author of the African-based No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series with Detective Precious Ramotswe, young readers can join Precious when she was a girl on her first case tracking down a cake thief.

Meet Yasmin: Pakistani-American Yasmin uses her imagination to solve everyday problems.

Middle Grade Books (8–12)

The Bridge Home: Four homeless children navigate life in India together. This beautifully written book allows readers to experience what life is like for kids who end up on the streets in age-appropriate ways. The storyline is engaging and based upon the stories of real street kids. I recommend reading together and discussing how the author defined Christian beliefs versus what the Bible teaches.

Soul Lanterns: A Japanese girl explores the lasting impacts of the bombing of Hiroshima in her community. This book was translated from Japanese into English and allows readers to better understand how drastically the lives of Japanese people were forever changed in an instant. I would recommend reading this together so you can guide discussions as needed.

Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream: Pakistani-American Zayd dreams of becoming a basketball player even though his family wants him to play the violin instead.

Amal Unbound: Amal mistakenly insults the village landlord after his car hits her. Amal ends up as a servant in the landlord's household as punishment. With engaging characters and an intriguing plot, this book is a page turner!

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition): Pakistani girl, Malala, stands up for what she believes and made a difference in the world. This makes a great audiobook for a road trip!

The Boy at the Back of the Class: Introduces readers to a 9-year-old determined to befriend the new kid and who teaches us all the beauty in seeking to understand and care for our friends no matter the obstacles.

A Long Walk to Water: Follows the stories of two Sudanese kids about 20 years apart. Salva is a Sudanese boy who is displaced by the war and walks across entire countries to refugee camps. Nya is a Sudanese girl who walks miles to collect unsafe drinking water and doesn't have time to attend school because of the long journey.

Inside Out & Back Again: Journey with Hà from Saigon to Alabama when war reaches her homeland and her family must start over in the U.S. The family isn't well-received by some in their community and this topic can be a starting point to discuss the importance of reaching out to those who aren't like us. 

This book is written in verse. 

At two points, the topic of Christianity comes up. The first one is when the mom lies on their refugee application about being Christian to increase their odds of getting selected. The second one is when Hà's entire family is baptized even though they aren't Christians by a church. I think these provide reasonable talking points with our kids about genuine faith and helping others without strings attached.

May your reading transport your family around the globe this summer!