Give Dad a Book for Father's Day

Are you looking for a last-minute Father's Day gift for a great dad? Well put down that polka-dot necktie and get something for dad that he'll probably use: a book. 

Books make the perfect gifts, whether dad is a mystery-novel reader or a how-to-fix the-washing-machine-manual type of guy, there are plenty of wonderful books out there to suit your even more wonderful dad. in Sewickley carries these titles:

Top 10 Books for Dad

1. "Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood," by Michael Lewis

"Lewis's style is funny, frank and engaging, and he gets a lot of comic mileage telling tales at his own expense....it's refreshing to hear a dad describe so vividly the uglier aspects of the job." -- Christopher Noxon of The Los Angeles Times.

2. "Awkward Family Photos" by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

"Anything that both makes me laugh and think my family isn't so embarrassing deserves to be a book." -- Joel Stein, Time magazine columnist.

3. "Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance," by with Nathan Whitaker.

"Dungy reveals secrets to achieving significance that he has learned from his remarkable parents, his athletic and coaching career, his mentors and his walk with God." -- Amazon.

4. "My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Friends," by Gwyneth Paltrow

"My Father's Daughter is a luscious collection that will inspire readers to cook great food with the people who mean the most to them." -- Amazon.

5. The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared," by Alice Ozma

"Jim Brozina, “an eccentric and excitable children’s librarian,” and his daughter, Alice Ozma, made a vow to read together daily. They kept that promise from the time Ozma was 9 years old until the day she went to college at 18. As Brozina writes in his foreword to The Reading Promise: 'Once started, a reading streak can be a hard thing to stop.” -- The Washington Post.

6. "Against All Enemies," by Tom Clancy with Peter Telep

"A terrorist bombing in Pakistan leads former Navy SEAL Max Moore into a deadly conspiracy at the U.S. border with Mexico, where he and a group of agents must prevent a shocking attack against America." -- The Las Vegas Review Journal.

7. "A Coach's Letter to His Son," by Mel Allen and John Thompson

"Baseball is a game steeped in tradition, played from backyards to major league stadiums and cheered by millions of fans. But at its most intimate and fundamental level, baseball is a game grounded in fathers and sons: in playing catch in the twilight hours after supper, in sons standing before old fences swinging at their father's pitches. Creative Editions is proud to present A Coach's Letter to His Son, a nostalgic tribute to the game." -- The Creative Company, publisher.

8. "Father Knows Less: One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions," by Wendell Johnson

"It makes a perfect Father's Day gift for any dad whose child has ever asked, 'Why is the sky blue?' or 'Why do we have eyebrows?' or 'What does 'sexy' mean?'" -- Publisher's Weekly.

9. "Familyhood," by Paul Reiser

"Fueled by his experiences of raising two young sons, ages 10 and 15, with his wife of 22 years, Familyhood looks at the funny truths, heartbreaks and small victories of being a family today. “After many years of trying to master the art of being a great husband and father,” says the actor, “I’ve decided to write this book so my children will finally have all the proof they need that I have no idea what I’m doing.” Familyhood is a true gem." -- Doubleday.

10. "Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughters, Fathers and the Changing American Family," by Dr. Peggy Drexler

“A fascinating journey into the world of fathers and daughters – a place at once familiar and fraught with mystery. Writing with insight and emotion, Peggy Drexler has delivered an operating manual for father-daughter relationships that is also a tender reflection on the loss of her own father. Our Fathers, Ourselves will give you a whole new understanding of the man you call Dad – or the man your children call Dad.” --  of HuffPost Media Group.

*Bonus Title: "Go The F--- To Sleep," By Adam Mansbach

"A bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest...." -- Amazon.

Top 10 Books for Dads with Young  Children

1. "Oh, Daddy" by Bob Shea

"Daddies . . . They can be funny and lovable and really, really silly," -- HarperCollins Publishing.

2. "So Much," by Trish Cooke and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

"A brilliant sing-song repetitive text, coupled with warm, lively illustrations depicting the hurly-burly of family life, make this book practically perfect," Junior London Review. 

3. "Your Daddy Was Just Like You," by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by David Walker

"In this heartwarming picture book....readers are engaged in a tender trip down memory lane...The humorous text is in perfect sync with the simple illustrations. This unique book is an excellent choice, particularly for Father’s Day." -- School Library Journal.

4. "Old Bear and His Cub," by Olivier Dunrea

"A beautifully crafted story for beginning readers, this warm, gently amusing picture book is also perfect for reading aloud to pint-size contrarians. For preschool-grade 1." --Carolyn Phelan, Booklist.

5. "My Tattooed Dad," by Daniel Nesquens and Magicomora

"From Spain, a son's affectionate tribute to his wandering, heavily decorated, yarn-spinning father." -- Kirkus Reviews.

6. "Tyrannosaurus Dad," by Liz Rosenbery and illustrated by Matthew Meyers

"Tobias’s father is a lot like other fathers—he likes corny jokes and doing magic tricks and works really hard at the office. But there the resemblance ends.  He has teeth as sharp as steak knives, is 40-feet high and weighs as much as a locomotive. He is, in fact, a tyrannosaurus. " -- Amazon.

7. "Daddies," a Little Golden Classic Book

"In a charming rhyme, this 1953 Little Golden Books asks, "What do daddies do all day? Daddies work while children play." It shows daddies working in all kinds of careers, from farming to teaching to even singing in the opera! And it assures children that at the end of the workday, "by taxi, train, by car and bus, Daddy rushes home—to us!" -- Amazon.

8. "My Daddy and Me," by Amy E. Sklansky and illustrated by Art Hoyt

"From the illustrations to the rhyming, rhapsodic text to the sheer daddy-and-me togetherness, this is one of my all-time favorite book recommendations for a father to share with his child. It’s available in paperback but I love that it’s now available as a board book. Double thumbs-up!" -- Cartwheel Books, the publisher

9. "The Best Father's Day Present Every," by Christine Loomis and pictures by Pam Paparone

"Father's Day is tomorrow, and Langley Snail is ready. This year, he finally gets an allowance, so there'll be no more disastrous homemade presents for his dad. All of Langley's friends are off to the store to buy their dads the latest gadgets, but by the time he catches up, it's closed (he is a snail, after all). Now what will he do? Luckily, the long trip home opens Langley's eyes to what just might be the best Father's Day present ever—something better than any gift money can buy." -- Barnes & Noble.

10. "On the Day You Were Born," by Debra Frasier

"Considered a modern children's classic. The lyric text welcomes each child to the every day miracles of planet Earth – the sun, moon, North Star, wind, rain, tides and the circle of people awaiting each child." --DebraFrasier.com

* Bonus Book: "Goodnight My Angel," by Billy Joel and illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert. The book includes a free CD of the hit lullaby single.

"The words are beautiful and can be read aloud easily," - Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library.