10 Best Books for Father's Day

Are You Giving Your Dad Boss a Father's Day Gift?

Yesterday we recommended some gifts nannies and au pairs can give to their Dad Bosses. One of the best gifts a father can give his child is the love of reading. So, children's books make an obvious great, inexpensive gift to give to fathers that employ nannies and au pairs. But, there are also some inspiring books written for fathers directly on raising kids. Both the adults books written for fathers and children's books for fathers to read with their children, make great Father's Day gifts for nannies and au pairs to give to their Dad Bosses. Here are our ten favorite books to give to fathers:

1. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker
In today’s increasingly complicated world, it’s often difficult for parents to connect with their daughters – and especially so for fathers. In this unique and invaluable guide, Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrician with more than twenty years experience counseling girls, reveals that a young woman’s relationship with her father is far more important than we’ve ever realized. To become a strong, confident woman, a daughter needs her father’s attention, protection, courage, and wisdom.

Dr. Meeker shares the ten secrets every father needs to know in order to strengthen or rebuild bonds with his daughter and shape her life – and his own – for the better. Inside you’ll discover:

• the essential virtues of strong fathers – and how to develop them
• the cues daughters take from their dads on everything from self-respect to drugs, alcohol, and sex
• the truth about ground rules (girls do want them, despite their protests)
• the importance of becoming a hero to your daughter
• the biggest mistake a dad can make–and the ramifications
• the fact that girls actually depend on their dads’ guidance into adulthood
• steps fathers can follow to help daughters avoid disastrous decisions and mistakes
• ways in which a father’s faith–or lack thereof–will influence his daughter
• essential communication strategies for different stages of a girl’s life
• true stories of “prodigal daughters”–and how their fathers helped to bring them back

Dads, you are far more powerful than you think – and if you follow Dr. Meeker’s advice, the rewards will be unmatched.



2. Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons by Tim Russert
What does it really mean to be a good father? What did your father tell you, that has stayed with you throughout your life? Was there a lesson from him, a story, or a moment that helped to make you who you are? Is there a special memory that makes you smile when you least expect it?

After the publication of Tim Russert’s number one New York Times bestseller about his father, Big Russ & Me, he received an avalanche of letters from daughters and sons who wanted to tell him about their own fathers, most of whom were not superdads or heroes but ordinary men who were remembered and cherished for some of their best moments–of advice, tenderness, strength, honor, discipline, and occasional eccentricity.

Most of these daughters and sons were eager to express the gratitude they had carried with them through the years. Others wanted to share lessons and memories and, most important, pass them down to their own children.

This book is for all fathers, young or old, who can learn from the men in these pages how to get it right, and to understand that sometimes it is the little gestures that can make the big difference for your child. For some in this book, the appreciation came later than they would have liked. But as Wisdom of Our Fathers reminds us, it is never too late to embrace it.

From the father who coached his daughter in sports (and life), attending every meet, game, performance, and tournament, to the daughter who, after a 15-year estrangement, learned to make peace with her difficult father just before he died, to the son who came, at last, to appreciate the silent way his father could show affection, Wisdom of Our Fathers shares rewarding lessons, immeasurable gifts, and lasting values.

Heartfelt, humorous, engaging, irresistibly readable, and bound to bring back memories of unforgettable moments with our own fathers, Tim Russert’s book is not only a fitting companion to his own marvelous memoir, but also a celebration of the positive qualities passed down from generation to generation.



3. 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad: What Fathers Can Do to Make a Lifelong Difference by Jay K. Payleitner
Quite a few dads spend time with their kids. However, many have no clue what their kids really need.
Enter author Jay Payleitner, veteran dad of five, who's also struggled with how to build up his children's lives. His 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad combines straightforward features with step-up-to-the-mark challenges men will appreciate: a full year's worth of focused, doable ideas, one per week, if desired uncomplicated ways to be an example, like kiss your wife in the kitchen, tough, frank advice, like throw away your porn. Dads will feel respected and empowered, and gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their kids.



4. Stories for a Dad's Heart by Alice Gray
Compiled by the creator of the bestselling Stories for the Heart series, Stories for a Dad's Heart is a poignant collection of stories destined to invigorate the hearts of dads. Filled with encouragement, inspiration, and humor in best-loved selections from the Stories for the Heart series, these stories will motivate dads to be all they can for those that mean the most to them. Fathers, sons, and grandfathers will all enjoy and benefit from the values and virtues found in this captivating collection.



5. A Father's Day Thank You by Janet Nolan and Kathi Ember
Harvey doesn't know what to get his dad for Father's Day. He asks his older siblings, who come up with the usual items (ties, a box of nails, golf balls). During the day, Harvey suffers small traumas (a fall and a flat tire on his bike), and his Dad is there to help him. Then comes bedtime, and Dad reads Harvey a story. Harvey wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea for the perfect gift: a drawing recapping all of the great things his Dad did for him the day before. [The illustrator] elevates the cuddly factor by depicting the family members as clothed bears in settings and situations kids will recognize. Nolan and Ember aren't breaking new ground here, but librarians seeking simple Father's Day stories for their collections might find what they're looking for here. Review by Todd Morning of American Library Association.



6. Me and My Dad by Alison Ritchie and Alison Edgson
A playful and loving father and son spend a delightful day bonding together, from a wake-up nose tickle to a final nighttime cuddle. Narrated by the son, the gentle rhyming text highlights the best parts of the day for him and the best traits of his dad. “We race to the river / and Dad jumps straight in. / I climb on his back / and we go for a swim.” The two dodge raindrops, search for hidden wonders, find honey, hide from a thunderstorm, and tell stories. Throughout the story, it’s obvious that Dad is a hero to his son for his strength, dependability, knowledge of forest secrets, and for the security and fun that he brings to his child’s life. Edgson’s full-bleed illustrations render the father and son duo as cuddly Teddy bear–like figures with wonderfully expressive faces. She perfectly captures the energy, exuberance and joy of the bears as they spend their day together. More and more titles are emerging that celebrate the special bond between fathers and their children; this one adds beautifully to that genre. Review by Krikus Reviews.



7. I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun
Parent-child bonding has never looked cozier, as a huge brown Papa bear and a very small cub spend quality time together from dawn till dusk in a leafy forest. The cub takes the narrative lead: “My daddy wakes me. My daddy feeds me,” and so on, until after “My daddy cuddles me” the pair drowse to the simple declaration, “I love my daddy.” Braun depicts hazy-edged figures and settings in long brushstrokes of golden toned browns and yellows, on a bottom layer of cool, green, flower-strewn grass. Review by Kirkus Review.



8. A Perfect Father's Day by Eve Bunting
As a Father's Day treat, Susie takes her dad to what she fondly imagines are all his favorite places: a fast-food restaurant (for which she graciously allows him to pay), the duck pond, the merry-go-round, and more. Meanwhile, Mom has fixed a celebratory meal --a "surprise" that Susie has ingenuously revealed. A warm, realistic story to be shared by those young enough to be as cozily complacent as Susie and those old enough to get the joke. Lively illustrations extend to fun. Review by Kirkus Review.



9. Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz
This is a great book to share with and infant and toddler. As a nanny, I gave this to my Dad Boss last year for Father's Day and the toddler and I love reading it together. There are 10 different ways Daddy hugs his baby and it's fun to act out the hugs while reading the book together. It also includes numbers and counting. This book is a great way to spend some quality time with a son or daughter.



10.The Night Before Father's Day by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer
It's the night before Father's Day, and Mom and the kids have a plan to surprise Dad with a special gift. When Dad goes for a bike ride, everyone gets to work. Dad wakes up the next day to find his garage newly organized and his car sparkly clean. So, of course, he celebrates by taking everyone for a spin!