Great Gift Books for the High School Grad

Just in time for graduation season, this collection of books focused on giving advice through big life changes—like heading off to college for the first time—has been the go-to source of guidance for recent grads and parents alike. Each book or gift book makes a great grad party present or gift for the young adults in your life.

Some practical and some funny, check out the following for that new grad you need to give a gift. Most are available wherever books are sold, and many in paperback.

The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen (available in paperback)

From the #1 College Expert—and TikTok sensation—Harlen Cohen, The Naked Roommate has been the go-to-guide for the very best college experience!

Ah, college: it can be the best of times and the worst of times. All in the same day. And that’s why everyone needs a little help along the way with New York Times bestselling advice on everything you needed to know about college.

Covering everything from sharing a bathroom with 40 people to finding a place to sit in the cafeteria, this fully updated edition of The Naked Roommate is packed with expert advice and eye-opening tips and stories to help prepare your future grad for college life. A practical, funny, and authentic guide for high school grads and parents alike.

Do Your Laundry or You'll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening by Becky Blades

No matter how hard they try, parents never have enough time to teach their children everything they need to know before they leave home, Luckily, Becky Blades has compiled the best tidbits of advice into one thought-provoking, conversation-starting, gift book she wrote with her eldest daughter in mind as she was preparing to leave home for the first time.

Covering everything from posture to finances with more than a hint of motherly sass, Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone is an illustrated, light-hearted graduation gift for daughters leaving for college or their next big adventure, mothers wanting to impart wisdom, or anyone in your life facing big changes.

The New Academic: A Researcher’s Guide to Writing and Presenting Content in a Modern World by Simon Clews

(also available in paperback)

A practical and accessible guide for academics to grow their audiences and share their research with wider audiences.

Simon Clews—former director of the Melbourne Engagement Lab—offers a wealth of practical advice on how academic writers can write and speak in informative, entertaining and above all else, accessible, ways. Aimed at researchers at all levels of experience from college freshmen to tenured professors, this book teaches readers how to communicate their research in clear, defined ways to general audiences, develop a public profile, gain traction online for their research and establish themselves as experts.

Energetic, lively and constructive, this is your hands-on guidebook to excelling in academia.

How to Adult: An Illustrated Guide by Stephen Wildish

What does it mean to be an adult? When are you an adult? How can I adult? How can I possibly get to the end of this email without checking social media?

A hilarious gift book for soon-to-be graduates or the young adults in your life! Filled with meme-able charts, graphs and illustrations of what it means to be an adult in the areas of work, social media, chores, conversation, finances and more, this is a great gift for anyone questioning whether or not they're doing this thing—i.e. "adulting"—correctly.

Stephen Wildish, a graphic designer responsible for the collection of pop culture graphs and charts circling the internet, is the hilarious voice behind How to Adult and the How to series. How to Adult makes for the perfect graduation or birthday gift and is a hilarious coffee-table book conversation starter.