For those among us who’ve wished for the mythical manual that arrives with the newborn, or just the innate wisdom that comes with becoming a parent, for those of us amused by all of the above and for any parent looking for a little help…

In the beginning

• Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir by Abby Epstein, Ricki Lake, and Cara Muhlhahn
• Father's First Steps: 25 Things Every New Dad Should Know by Robert W. Sears
• 25 Things Every Nursing Mother Needs to Know by Kathleen Huggins
• No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley
• I’m a Mom! Now What? What to Expect from Birth to 2 Years by Su Laurent
• Becoming a kind father by Calvin Sandborn

Au naturel

• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
• Naturally Healthy First Foods for Baby: the Best Nutrition for the First Year and Beyond by Jacqueline Rubin
• No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo, and Other Delights by Amy R. Singer
• Organic Housekeeping: in which the Nontoxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family While You Save Time, Money, and, perhaps, Your Sanity by Ellen Sandbeck
• Knack Clean Home, Green Home: the Complete Illustrated Guide to Eco-friendly Homekeeping by Kimberley Delaney

Healthy body

• Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck
• Healthy Child Healthy World by Meryl Streep and Christopher Gavigan
• ADD/ADHD Drug Free: Natural Alternatives and Practical Exercises to Help Your Child Focus by Frank Jacobelli, Lynn A. Watson
• Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies:  the Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Kenneth Bock, Cameron Stauth
• The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Robert Sears
• Healthy Beginnings: Giving Your Baby the Best Start, from Preconception to Birth by Nan Schuurmans
• 50 Activities and Games for Kids with ADHD by Patricia O. Quinn
• Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward Hallowell

Inner child

• 1-2-3 Magic for Kids: Helping Your Children Understand the New Rules by Thomas W. Phelan and Tracy M. Lewis
• The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander: from Pre-school to High School: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso
• Good Kids, Bad Habits: the Real Age Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg
• Free Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry by Lenore Skenazy
• Under Pressure: Putting the Child Back in Childhood by Carl Honore

Families we make

• What to Expect When You're Adopting...A Practical Guide to the Decisions and Emotions Involved in Adoption by Ian Palmer
• Boomer’s Guide to Grandparenting by Kathryn and Allan Zullo
• Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan, Bobbie Combs, Danamarie Hosler
• Gay Parenting:  Complete Guide for Same-Sex Families by Shana Priwer, Cynthia Phillips
• Raising Children in Blended Families: Helpful Insights, Expert Opinions and True Stories by Maxine Marsolini
• Everything Guide to Stepparenting: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Creating Healthy, Long-lasting Relationships by Erin Munroe and Irene S. Levine
• Twins: a Practical Guide to Parenting Multiples From Conception to Preschool by Katrina Bowman

Tears and laughter

• Overcoming Loss:  Activities and Stories for Children who Have Experienced Grief and Loss by Julie Sorenson
• Dispatches from a Not-so-Perfect Life by Faulkner Fox
• Area Woman Blows Gasket by Patricia Pearson
• Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
• Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman
• Mommy Myth by Susan Douglas, Meredith Michaels
• Mother Trip: Hip Mama’s Guide to Staying Sane in the Chaos of Motherhood by Ariel Gore
• Between interruptions: 30 Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood by Cori Howard

More than three R’s

• Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 by Linda Dobson
• Baby Signing Book:  includes 350 ASL Signs for Babies & Toddlers by Sara Bingham
• Green Crafts for Children: 35 Step-by-step Projects using Natural, Recycled, and Found Materials by Emma Hardy
• Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature Through the Seasons by Rick Van Noy
• Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies by Deborah Drezon Carroll
• Healthy Child, Wealthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home by Christopher Gavigan
• Parenting for a Peaceful World by Robin Grille
• Baby Smarts: Games for Playing and Learning by Jackie Silberg
• Parents’ Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education: All You Need to Know to Make the Right Decisions for Your Child by David Palmer
• Child of Wonder: Nurturing Creative and Naturally Curious Children by Ginger Carlson