Excellent new books all parents should read
Two things can be true: We love our kids. And parenting is hard.
Luckily, a spate of new parenting books are giving us a lot to think about, whether it’s the latest research on screentime, how best to support boys vs. girls (and ditching gender stereotypes all together), or navigating tricky pregnancy questions.
No matter the age of your children, these recently-released books will make you feel more confident, reassured, and knowledgeable.
Jonathan Haidt’s impeccably researched best seller is a must-read for parents—and anyone who’s interested in the intersection of technology and culture. Haidt details how childhood has fundamentally changed with the onslaught of smartphones and screens, with concrete advice on how to mitigate the damage. As the parent to two sons who devote countless hours to Fortnite, Roblox, iPads, and smartphones, I read this with eyes wide open and my highlighter uncapped. Haidt tackles the issues from all sides: steps that should be taken by parents, schools, tech companies, lawmakers—and dives deep into why technology is negatively impacting girls more than boys (but why boys are withdrawing from the world more). We can’t turn back time; technology is here to stay. But we can implement changes to improve the lives of our children. We all want to raise compassionate, kind, engaged, thoughtful children—The Anxious Generation will help us find the way. See more of our Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 So Far. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
I loved this book—and I’m not just saying that as the mother of two boys. Although, as somebody who rolls my eyes at the cliche “boys will be boys,” it felt like Ruth Whippman was talking directly to me. That said, every caregiver, man, and woman should read this fascinating narrative, which applies the cultural debates around gender and #MeToo to parenthood. Whippman deftly pulls together research, expert interviews, and her own experience to call out instances when our society lets boys down, how we can do better, and why it’s necessary to treat them as “full, complex humans, finding their way” as opposed to limiting them to the “chokehold of masculine expectations.” A worthy, thought-provoking conversation. Read more of our Best Nonfiction Books of June 2024. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Economist Emily Oster (Expecting Better, Cribsheet) is the preeminent parenting writer working today, breaking down the myths and risks of parenting with a clear-headed examination of data. Co-written with maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Nathan Fox, Oster’s latest book covers the nuanced choices and situations people are faced with when dealing with pregnancy and birth complications (especially relevant in a post-Dobbs world). Even if pregnancy is in the rear-view mirror for you, this reassuring read may provide some closure, as it did for me ten years after I developed pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome while delivering my older son. Check out more real-talk parenting books. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Who doesn’t want to raise resilient kids? Developmental psychologist Aliza Pressman’s goal is to help us do just that, with the goal of helping our children “weather life’s storms and stay true to their values.” The “five principles” she refers to in her title are: relationships, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair. What makes Pressman’s highly-readable book so reassuring and valuable is her commitment to giving you framework that can be tailored to what feels good for your family, or, as she puts it: “that space between micromanagement and chaos.” There are also no extreme parenting ideas (“the middle road might not seem as sexy or as black-and-white, but trust me—it’s an easier road to stay on”), but instead a focus on creating and sustaining a lifestyle that works for your entire family. No wonder this book resonated so much with readers, as both an Amazon Editors’ Pick and instant New York Times best seller. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
What’s on a teenage girl’s mind? A whole lot, according to private tutor and mentor Chelsey Goodan, the author of this powerful new manifesto. Goodan is privy to the innermost thoughts of brave, brilliant, bold girls, often through texts in the middle of the night—because she’s not their parent, and she doesn’t carry shame or judgment. And now she’s sharing what she’s learned, and how parents, partners, and communities can support these adolescents as they learn to navigate the world. “These girls have taught me more than I’ve ever taught them,” Goodan writes. “The lessons I’ve learned are for everyone.” Girls face endless pressure in our culture—from being policed over what they wear, to the people with whom they form relationships, to stereotypes about their behavior and moods—and they’re often misunderstood. Reading this book will liberate them from these outdated mindsets—and all of us from expectations that we’re supposed to live a certain way. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This delightful read may inspire you to pack up and move to Denmark to raise your own little Vikings. More memoir than parenting advice (although there’s plenty of wisdom there, too), Helen Russell shares her unique experience raising her three kids in the Nordic country, where she has lived for a decade. Cultural differences abound: kids eat a more diverse diet, play outside reliably (With axes! Even though it’s almost entirely dark from October to March! And the temperatures are frigid!), are given access to alcohol from a very young age, and soft launch into adulthood with boarding school. And all of these independence-building customs create well-adjusted kids who rank their country as one of the happiest in the world. There are a million amazing ways to raise a family (see also: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Bringing Up Bébé)—and it’s so freeing to learn a bunch of different ideas and combine them for a method that works the best for your family. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Looking for even more parenting advice? We also recommend these great books:
- Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy (Read our review)
- Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith (Read our review)
- A Good Mom's Guide to Making Bad Choices by Jamilah Mapp and Erica Dickerson (Read our review)
- Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships by Nedra Glover Tawwab (Read our review)
- Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture by Sara Petersen (Read our review)
- It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs by Mary Louise Kelly (Read our review)
- The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour, Ph.D. (Read our review)
- The Art of Teaching Children: All I Learned from a Lifetime in the Classroom by Phillip Done (Read our review)
- Very Intentional Parenting: Awakening the Empowered Parent Within by Destini Ann Davis (Read our review)
- How to Have a Kid and a Life: A Survival Guide by Ericka Sóuter (Read our review)
- You Can't F*ck Up Your Kids: A Judgment-Free Guide to Stress-Free Parenting by Lindsay Powers (yes, that’s me, the author of this article; read our review)
