This narrative research study explores the reading responses of eight intermediate-grade girls reading global children's literature in an after-school literature circle over a five-month period. Situated in sociocultural perspectives and transactional theory in an aesthetic stance to the text, this study considers the power of critical dialogue in collaborative meaning making and the capacity of reading global children's literature for developing intercultural understanding. The following questions guide this study (1) When engaging with global children's literature, what are the critical dialogues and responses of intermediate-grade girls in the context of an after-school literature discussion group? What are the markers of this critical dialogue? (2) What is the intertextual nature of this dialogue, that is, how do the stories of the girls' lives, as well as their life experiences, shape their responses to the texts? The role of the facilitator in shaping intertextuality in critical dialogue in literature discussion is also examined. Data was collected through audio recordings, field notes, informal interviews, and participant artifacts. MAXQDA: The Art of Data Analysis (2020) software was utilized to analyze the data systematically into two broad, overlapping, and interconnected categories: practitioner inquiry and intertextuality in critical dialogue, where subcategories and themes emerged and interpreted through the lens of Greene's (1995) concept of the poetic and social imagination. Findings confirm the value of reading global children's literature in an environment of care that supports an aesthetic response to the text in intertextuality and critical dialogue for global conversations and intercultural understanding. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]