Intersections Summer 2020

Dear Friends of Women & Children First,  Summer is upon us at last! And summer is, of course, one of our four favorite seasons to do some reading! In this summer edition of our Intersections newsletter we will share some staff recommendations; upcoming titles we are excited about for kids, teens and adults; pre-order exclusives; and more! You can also learn a little more about some of our partners who continue to do amazing work in their communities in the face of unprecedented times. Many of you have been asking about the new website Bookshop and how it relates to our store. We encourage you to scroll down to read our thoughts. We hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones well and that it provides some new reads for whatever the coming months will bring. In solidarity, W&CF

New & Upcoming for Kids and Teens Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi Publishing July 14, 2020 For ages 2 to 5  Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin For ages 2 to 5 Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Nelson Publishing June 9, 2020 For ages 3 to 7 Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley For ages 8 to 12 The 47 People You'll Meet in Middle School by Kristin Mahoney Publishing (in paperback) June 23, 2020 For ages 8 to 12 Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor Publishing August 18, 2020 For ages 10 and up The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert Publishing July 7, 2020 For ages 13 and up All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson For ages 14 and up Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender For ages 14 and up Virtual Kids' Activities Iggy Day Check out the virtual celebration of  Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion , the latest chapter book in the bestselling Questioneers series by author-illustrator team Andrea Beaty and David Roberts! During the family-friendly, 40-minute event, Andrea reads from  Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion , David teaches viewers how to draw Iggy, a special librarian gives new book recommen-dations, and an expert in architecture shows viewers how to read a building! Check it out HERE .  James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl teams up with Taika Waititi to present James and the Giant Peach , with TAIKA and FRIENDS. Taika uses incredible story-telling skills to recreate the classic James and The Giant Peach in 10 installments--for children and families currently in lockdown all over the world. The collaboration raises money for Partners in Health, a global health non-profit that is in the fight against COVID-19 in the most vulnerable parts of the world. Check it out HERE . Antiracist Reading List In our work to dismantle white supremacy, we must center Black voices. We encourage you to browse our Black Lives Matter reading list, featuring these titles & more: Unapologetic by Charlene A. Carruthers From #Blacklivesmatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:

Why Fish Don't Exist By Lulu Miller Recommended by Sarah Hollenbeck Grasping for something to fight off recent feelings of futility, I grabbed hold of Why Fish Don't Exist by Invisibilia podcast co-creator Lulu Miller, and what a gift! Educational without being stiff and life-affirming without being sentimental, this blend of personal memoir and science biography reminded me of the wonders of the world—even the wonders within us flawed and fallible humans. Hood Feminism By Mikki Kendall Recommended by Sarah Hollenbeck In this incisive essay collection, Chicago author Mikki Kendall fiercely calls out the mainstream feminist agenda for too often centering the issues of middle-and upper-class white women. HOOD FEMINISM challenges white feminists to do more than perform allyship, but become active "accomplices" in dismantling the systems that fortify and uphold white supremacy. SFSX (Safe Sex): Volume 1 By Tina Horn Recommended by H. Melt Publishing July 28, 2020 SFSX is an incredible dystopian comic book written by Tina Horn, who also hosts the Why Are People Into That?! podcast. SFSX fights for a world where queer pleasure, kink, and sex workers are honored. It is a testament to the ways community can care for one another, even in the face of grave danger. World of Wonders By Aimee Nezhukumatathil Recommended by H. Melt Publishing August 11, 2020 Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil delightfully turns to prose in this collection of essays highlighting what she's learned from the natural world and how she's used its wonders to cope throughout her life. Chapters are structured by different elements of nature, including flamingos, axolotls, and corpse flowers. This book is beautifully written and features gorgeous illustrations by Fumi Nakamura. The Vanishing Half By Brit Bennett Recommended by Jamie Thomas Available now! Brit Bennett’s second novel broke my heart. She doesn’t shy away from the sadness inherent in each character’s life, yet she left me feeling better for having met all of them. I read  The Vanishing Half  with a sense of hope, despite my dread that terrible things might befall the characters. Desiree and Stella’s story unfolds with a deft delicateness in a book that is astonishingly accomplished and sweeping, and yet so very intimate. Boyfriend Material By Alexis Hall Recommended by Jamie Thomas Publishing July 1, 2020 God I loved this. I loved it I loved it I loved it. Not since Red, White & Royal Blue have I LAUGHED so hard at a romance novel. But once I stopped laughing, I was so very smitten with Luc and Oliver. Their sweetness, their banter, their mismatched perfection, and their realistic psychological hangups felt so earned. I just adored this. Full stop. Her Last Flight By Beatriz Williams Recommended by Kaylie Padgett Publishing June 30, 2020 I turn to Beatriz Williams books when I want fun, well-written, spunky historical adventure! Her newest novel revolves around Irene Foster, an Amelia Earhart-esque character whose disappearance in 1937 is one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries, and Janey Everett, an investigative reporter and war correspondent who travels to the island of Kauai, Hawaii, to interview local business owner Irene Lindquist, whom she believes to be the missing Irene Foster. The dual narrative is compelling and the lyrical prose transporting, which feels necessary right now. More titles coming this summer! Luster by Raven Leilani Publishing August 4, 2020 Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong Publishing June 30, 2020 Pew by Catherine Lacey Publishing July 21, 2020 Bezoar: And Other Unsettling Stories by Guadalupe Nettel Publishing August 11, 2020 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi Publishing August 4, 2020 Support our Partners CHICAGO BOOKS TO WOMEN IN PRISON recommends: Becoming Ms. Burton   by Susan Burton "This is one of our favorite books. Susan Burton tells the moving story of her life of abuse, the death of her son, addiction, and incarceration to founding A New Way of Life Reentry Project. This organization has changed the lives of more than 1,000 formerly incarcerated women and is an exciting new model of advocacy, healing, and support. Susan visited us three years ago when her speaking tour took her through Chicago. It was an honor and pleasure to talk with her and show her around our small but mighty operation." Buy titles for prisoners from CBWP's wishlist HERE . Liberation Library received the following book review from one of the young people in the jails/prisons they work with about the title Once a King, Always a King by Reymundo Sanchez: “I think that this book is more of a something you can learn off from and take it in to real life. It’s a true story of a gang member who turns his life around and it's pretty interesting.” Get books like these into the hands of young people by contributing to the Liberation Library gift card drive HERE .

Pre-Order Exclusives

Explore some of this summer's big titles and the promotions for them!

Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley Publishing June 16, 2020 Exclusive tote bag while supplies last!

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh Publishing June 23, 2020 Signed book plate while supplies last!

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty Publishing June 30, 2020 Signed copies while supplies last!

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny Publishing September 1, 2020

About Bookshop Many of you have been asking, so we would love to tell you a little more about our connection to the new online bookstore platform Bookshop . Bookshop was created with the mission to support independent bookstores while at the same time giving journalists, influencers, bloggers, and others a viable alternative to linking to Amazon.  A general order on Bookshop will contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores (even those that don’t use Bookshop). If you want to find a specific local bookstore to support, you can find them on Bookshop’s map, and they will receive the full profit from your order. So how does Women & Children First factor into this equation? For many years, we have been incredibly fortunate for the strong online sales we’ve enjoyed through our website. For that reason, Bookshop does not necessarily benefit us in the same way that it does some of our sibling independent bookstores that haven’t had as vibrant an online presence. While we support and participate in the Bookshop earnings pool, we continue to focus our efforts and energy on maintaining our strong customer service through our website, where we get 100% of the profits. We appreciate you supporting us and independent bookstores, and we continue to fight for local business as a community hub and support.

Women & Children First

5233 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60640 773-769-9299 wcfbooks@gmail.com Visit Us Online ‌ ‌ ‌