The present study adds to TEFL discourse in several ways. First of all, it contributes to the widening of the canon as it focuses on Ugandan children's fiction. Secondly, the research connects to the few empirical studies that exist in the field. It provides further implications for cultural and global learning and literary didactics in TEFL derived from insights into the mental processes of a group of Year 9 students in Germany engaging with Ugandan children's fiction within the scope of an extensive reading project.