In 'A Journal For Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor,' Dana Canedy, a Pulitzer Prize winner and senior editor for The New York Times, writes a poignant letter to her son, Jordan, about the father he will never meet.

His father, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, 48, was killed by an improvised explosive devise on a deserted road in Iraq on October 14, 2006 when Jordan was just seven months old.

"Before he kissed my swollen stomach and left for the war in December 2005, your father, U.S. Army First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, had been preparing for the promise of your new life and for the possible end of his own,'' Canedy writes in the first chapter. "Even before he boarded that plane headed for danger, I worried that he would be killed. So I gave him a journal. I hoped he would write a few messages, perhaps some words of encouragement to you, though you were not yet born, in case he died before you knew each other.''

Jordan's father wrote 200 pages in that journal in an inspirational story for fathers for years to come. Canedy deftly weaves his words around a touching memoir that will stay with readers long after they finish the story. Denzel Washington and Columbia Pictures have optioned 'A Journal For Jordan' for film.

Two more great gift ideas for Father's Day:

'Be A Father To Your Child'
In 'Be A Father to your Child: Real Talk From Black Men on Family, Love, and Fatherhood,' edited by author April R. Silver, a chorus of some of the biggest names in hip-hop come together to challenge the widespread belief that black men do not care about their families. Writers include Kevin Powell, Talib Kweli and William Jelani Cobb.

"My father was not educated by the standards of society,'' Cobb writes, "but he was the best teacher I've ever met...If you want it distilled, these are the things he taught me: Never get into something until you've figured out how to get out of it..''

Keep Dad Healthy
In 'The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds,' Rip Esselstyn, a firefighter in Austin, Texas, comes up with some surefire recipes that will keep your father healthy and fit. The food plan features whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. The family-friendly mouthwatering recipes range from pancakes to pizza.

Esselstyn, a former All-American swimmer at the University of Texas who spent 10 years as a professional triathlete, joined the Austin fire department in 1997. He came up with the book idea after learning that several of his compatriots had dangerously high cholesterol levels.