Each month, we will be spotlighting a powerful read that reflects our values—stories that inspire, educate, and connect us to our shared pursuit of justice, growth, and community wellness. Whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or memoir, these titles lift up voices that deserve to be heard and fuel the kind of conversations that move us forward.
This month’s children’s book pick is Dear Dad: Love, Nelson: The Story of One Boy and His Incarcerated Father, which offers a glimpse into the life, family, struggles, hopes, and questions of Nelson—and the more than five million other children in the US who have experienced parental incarceration.
Told through letters he writes his father, Nelson shares his feelings, thoughts, wishes, and happenings, from the celebrations they’ve had to the progress Nelson has made on the car they were fixing to how excited he is to have Dad coming home.
The author, who’s had several family members impacted by the criminal legal system, was inspired to write this warm and inviting story to build awareness of parental incarceration and increase empathy for people who have an incarcerated loved one. Dear Dad: Love, Nelson is told in Nelson’s vibrant, curious, and compassionate voice, with his love for his dad and his family shining through.
Dear Dad: Love, Nelson can open doors of conversation about many significant topics, including:
- Different emotional responses to parental incarceration
- The school-to-prison pipeline
- Differences in celebrations without a parent
- The importance of keeping in contact
- The expectations of the court and the experience of visitation
- The anticipation of reentry
A section at the back of the book offers discussion questions for exploring the story and the topic with children, along with more information on guiding children to write letters as a way of staying in touch with an incarcerated loved one.
📚 Want to read along? You can find this book on Amazon or wherever you get your books.
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About the Authors
Margarett McBride is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current research investigates the ways in which community violence, neighborhood supports, and physical structures influence family processes and mental health outcomes among ethnic and racial minority populations.
David Wilkerson is an art director and professor based in the US. Interested in storytelling, community, and tech. His work experience involves clients such as; Disney, Fox, Lebron James, PBS Kids, The CDC, Hulu, and many more.