Four Great Books To Read This Summer
Tips on parenting more effectively, how to help kids experience awe more often, and poignant personal reflections on fatherhood and education
Hi readers!
Greetings from Charleston, South Carolina, where I gave a keynote address at the Fact Forward Summer Institute. I was honored to speak alongside leaders like Dr. Tanya Bass, Xavier Ramey, Dr. Rena Dixon, Beth Ruffin, and Bill Taverner. Fact Forward is doing amazing work and this conference was extremely well-run, supportive, and fun.
Today I’m sharing some recent books I think are worth your time and attention. I hope you get some time to check them out this summer!
Big love,
Christopher
P.S. “Talk To Your Boys,” the book I co-wrote with , comes out on September 9th. That’s less than three months away!! It’s also on sale right now: Get 20% off with the code DAD25 when you pre-order it here.
Four Great Books To Read This Summer
The Alphabet For New And Expecting Fathers
It’s rare to read personal, deeply reflective writing by fathers about being fathers, which is why I’m so excited about what Shawn Taylor puts forward here. In 26 short essays - one for each letter of the alphabet - he shares thoughts on what it’s like to raise a daughter in the Bay Area, particularly as a parent who had a challenging childhood themselves and wants to find a different way to be a dad. The book is non-linear - there are stories from before his daughter was born and explorations of what things are like now that she’s a teenager - but they are all honest, thoughtful, and well-told. Order here.
Bay Area readers: Shawn Taylor will be hosting a book launch on Sunday, June 15 at Medicine for Nightmares bookstore. Check it out!
Hello, Cruel World! Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times
You may know
from her wonderful newsletter or her previous book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes. In this new book, she examines three specific areas:How to help kids cope (including chapters on self-compassion, resilience, and substance use)
How to help kids connect (including chapters on loneliness, empathy, and preventing bias)
How to help kids “cultivate” (including chapters on financial literacy, media, and technology)
One of the things Melinda is best known for is her meticulous reporting, so you can trust that everything here is backed up by solid research, but it’s shared in a caring, relatable format that makes it easy for busy parents to digest and use in their lives. Order here.
Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive
In this book,
latches onto a simple-but-powerful concept and explores it in multiple ways. That concept: Awe is an powerful emotion that is oven overlooked and undervalued, and that if parents can help kids find and experience awe it will genuinely help them thrive.In the chapter on the wonder of nature, she introduces concepts like “awe walks” - short, device-free walks where people deliberately look and listen for beauty. In addition to nature, the book looks at the wonder of music, art, belonging, big questions, and more. Its a great guide for any adult who needs some inspiration to break out of daily routines and think about our time with kids in a new way. Order here
Diary Of A Confused Educator
In this new book, Ashanti Branch explains how he started working with boys and how the Ever Forward Club grew out of needs he was seeing in his own classroom. It chronicles his journey from overwhelmed educator to global leader on boys’ and mens’ issues
In Diary of A Confused Educator, he uses humor, compassion, and vulnerability to tell his own story. He recounts trying to meet his students where they are - beyond the masks they wear to hide their true selves. He also writes about why he believes that every young person deserves a space in which they are safe enough to discover, and be, themselves. Order here.
Recent Teen Health Today Highlights
An Inclusive, Shame-Busting, Get-Real Guide To Puberty
Talking about puberty doesn't need to be so cringe. Learn how the author of "Growing Into You!" suggests changing our approachAll boys and young men deserve realistic, comprehensive sex education
Meet The Comedian Who Is Helping Teens Deal With Their Emotions
Young people can provide crucial knowledge and support to their peers
No, Don't Show "Adolescence" In Schools
A masculinity researcher is worried that our rush to respond to the Netflix series may produce unexpected consequences
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Thanks for these recommendations! I will add them to my list of resources that I share with families.