This month, we celebrate dads and the special role they play in our lives. Read along with your dad and learn about love, father-child relationships and fond memories, even amid challenges.
Preschool
“Dad”
by Christian Robinson
This big-hearted love letter to dads reflects the range of relationships that dads, both animal and human, have with their little ones.
“Daddy”
by Leslie Patricelli
From everyone’s favorite one-haired baby comes a fond and funny ode to a special daddy, for Father’s Day or any day.
by Delia Ruiz
Inspired by the author’s own truck rides with her father through a ranch in Mexico, this picture book connects the love languages between a father and daughter and shows the many ways love can be expressed and received.
Early Elementary
by Monica Mikai
A boy and his dad spend the day in the barbershop, where they take time out to bond and focus on themselves. The vibrant scenes show how the routine of cutting Black hair at a barbershop fosters a connection between a father, a son and their community.
by Stephanie Seales
While a young Panamanian American girl and her father share “just-us” time on an early morning horseback ride around their town, he tells her cowboy stories and she realizes she is a cowboy too.
by Ian Duncan
RJ is panicking! His teacher has given the class 30 minutes to finish their Father’s Day cards. RJ has done the math, and he knows he won’t have enough time to make two perfect cards for his two perfect dads.
Upper Elementary
“With Dad”
by Richard Jackson
A boy with a father in the military reflects on cherished memories of a camping trip with Dad in this warm, reassuring picture book.
by Heather Lang
Raising babies in the wild is a mighty big job, but these super animal dads are up to the task! This book is packed with cool facts in a fun comics format.
by Joan Reardon
Chaperoned by their boring stepfather, 12-year-old Zadie and her sister spend the summer with their rock-and-roll, park-ranger dad, rescuing his dragon companion from a magical animal poacher.
Middle Grade
by Gary Paulsen
A laugh-out-loud eco-friendly adventure about a boy, his free-thinking dad and the puppy-training pamphlet that turns their summer upside down
“Coach”
by Jason Reynolds
Otie is a sprinter and aspiring long jumper who dreams of competing in the Olympics. Though the novel spans only a few weeks, it vividly portrays the hardships of Otie’s neighborhood and the strain on his parents’ marriage as his father struggles with addiction.
Teen
by Samuel Teer
In the summer of 1995, almost-15-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.
