ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE FEMINIST PRESS
Hadley Irwin
ISBN: 9780912670522
Wanting to earn a ten speed bicycle, twelve-year old Ellen reluctantly agrees to spend a summer as a companion to seventy-seven-year-old Lilith Adams. A powerful friendship grows between these two intriguing characters, and both gain a deeper understanding of old age, loneliness, insecurity, and death.
“Written with grace and wit, the story entertains while it teaches a lesson about the human condition.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A gentle book, deeply respectful of its topic, aging. … The story is warm and the writing exemplary…
—The New York Times Book Review
“An insightful story … of child and woman learning to understand and care for each other. Although written for children the book has appeal for readers of all ages…”
—Gray Panther Network
A “well-written, sympathetic but not sentimental story. … Honest things are said about getting old. … An enjoyable, worthwhile book.”
—School Library Journal
Cathy Applegate
eISBN: 9781558616431 | ISBN: 9781558612785
At the center of Australia is a vast red desert known as the Outback. For twelve-year-old Amy from Melbourne who arrives to visit her aunt, it is a world unlike anything she’s ever seen before. But then she meets Lana, a local Aboriginal girl who, like Amy, has recently lost her mother, and the two girls overcome differences to form a surprising bond.
With warmth and humor, Red Sand, Blue Sky charts the encounter between Amy and Lana and their deepening friendship. Through Lana, Amy learns about the harsh treatment suffered by the Aboriginal people at the hands of the white settlers who were her ancestors, while Lana comes to appreciate Amy’s and her aunt’s commitment to protect the sacredness of the land.
Their quest will challenge their own courage and ingenuity and test the bonds of the new friendship. Red Sand, Blue Sky offers a model of girlhood that includes adventuring out in the world, where one discovers not only present-day conflicts, but the realities of history, geography, and cultural difference. The book handles difficult historical issues, as well as current-day racial tension, with frankness and careful balance. Its primary strength is the leavening power of its humor: “‘Do you know how you light a fire with two sticks?’ asked Lana. ‘No, how?’ asked Amy. She had heard that Aboriginal people could light a fire this way. Lana replied, ‘Make sure one of the sticks is a match.’”
For ages 9-12.
“An engaging and entertaining novel for young readers about a chance meeting and friendship between two girls … is highly recommended reading and would make an excellent addition to school and community library collections.”
—Midwest Book Review
Robin Morgan
ISBN: 9781558610545
This enchanting story tells of two outsiders who find a deep kinship in each other. The Mer-Child—with his pale green skin, surf-white hair, and shimmering tail—is not fully accepted in the sea world or the human world. The Little Girl—the child of a black mother and a white father—has been ostracized both because of her race and because her legs are paralyzed. The bond they weave, against all odds, becomes a wondrous celebration of our common capacity to love.
“What a rare and precious tale this is! A story worthy of children and the casual miracles of this magical world.”
—Alice Walker
“Robin Morgan’s fable for the child in each of us and the grown-up in all children has been lovingly passed around as an underground classic. At last, The Feminist Press is bringing it to a world that needs the wisdom of children and the idealistic, believing child in all of us. Thank you one and all for setting the Mer-Child free.”
—Gloria Steinem
Ethel Johnston Phelps
eISBN: 9781558616189 | ISBN: 9780912670508
These 25 traditional tales come from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. All the central characters are spirited females—decisive heroes of extraordinary courage, wit, and achievement who set out to determine their own fate. Some of their stories are comic, some adventurous, some eerie, and some magical. The Chicago Sun-Times writes: “A sparkling gathering of traditional, yet little-known, tales from all parts of the globe. The female characters…manage to outsmart, outdo, and over-power the villains with nerves of steel, cunning minds, and disarming senses of humor.”
“A sparkling gathering of traditional, yet little-known, tales from all parts of the globe. The female characters … manage to outsmart, outdo, and overpower the villains with nerves of steel, cunning minds, and disarming senses of humor.”
—The Chicago Sun-Times
Barbara Wilson
ISBN: 9781558612778
Award-winning mystery writer Barbara Wilson’s first novel for young readers is funny, exciting, and eco-savvy. Willa C. Lopez is traveling on her own for the first time. She’s almost twelve, and grown-up enough to fly on a plane by herself and spend the summer away from home. But is Willa ready for the changes, surprises, and mysteries she’ll find when she arrives?
Willa is spending her summer in Seattle with Aunt Ceci and her partner, Janie. Through her work as a naturalist, Janie introduces Willa to the local wildlife and ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. Then someone starts polluting the salmon stream in the park where Janie works, and Willa teams up with her cousin Tabitha to find the culprit. From her diverse, confident, and sometimes eccentric bunch of relatives, Willa learns that there isn’t any one kind of family—the only requirement is love. She also learns about ecosystems and “scientific sleuthing,” and discovers what may be her life’s work.
“Wilson convincingly portrays Willa’s excitement as she develops a passionate interest in nature, and the ‘eco-sleuthing’ will attract mystery fans. Children looking for books showing nontraditional families will find a range of families here, including gay couples, interracial marriages, and single parents.”
—Booklist