I can’t thank my dad enough for sparking my book lover tendencies by reading to me before bed each night. He’s the reason I’m the book nerd I am today, and couldn’t be more encouraging of dads (and moms, too) who want to read with their children. With Father’s Day just around the corner, here’s a list of books for dads to read with their kids that celebrate a fatherly bond.
Picture Books
BECAUSE I’M YOUR DAD by Ahmet Zappa, illustrated by Dan Santat
GIDDY-UP, DADDY! by Troy Cummings
HOP ON POP by Dr. Seuss
EVERYONE CAN LEARN TO RIDE A BICYCLE by Chris Raschka
MY DADDY AND ME by Jerry Spinelli, illustrated by Seymour Chwast
HOW TO BABYSIT A GRANDPA by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish
Middle Grade
ROAD TRIP by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen
CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen
THE RED PYRAMID (The Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan
DINOTOPIA by James Gurney
When I was a kid, my favorite book to read with my dad was THE MAN OF THE HOUSE, about a boy (8 years old or so) named David (my middle name) who decides to be “the man of the house” when his father’s away on a business trip. I’m sure it’s out of print by now, and I’m also fairly certain its gender politics are out of date, but at the time, it made me feel good to read a book with my dad that let me imagine myself in the role of protector of the house.