Author Signing

Retired Colonel Jill Morgenthaler was one of the first women to enter ROTC and train
with men; the first woman battalion commander in the 88th Regional Support
Command; the first woman brigade commander in the 84th Division; and the first
woman Homeland Security Advisor for the State of Illinois. The Colonel handled
disaster recovery during the San Francisco earthquake, worked as a peacekeeper
in Bosnia, and sheltered Kosovar refugees. Jill is a motivational speaker,
discussing how to lead and handle the media during crises. Courage to Take Command: Leadership Lessons from a Military Trailblazer
is her first book and shares leadership lessons to help business
professionals at any level overcome obstacles and forge paths to success.

During our renovation, we'll be holding our weekly Story time at Gus Giordano Dance School (5230 N Clark Street). Perfect for ages 2 to 4, the event will include dance stories and activities!

Please call the bookstore to order tickets for this event 

WE ARE SOLD OUT OF COMPANION TICKETS. 

**Please note: this is a ticketed off-site event that will be held at The Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St.**

For one night only, Issa Rae, creator of the hit web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” will discuss her new memoir with Chicago’s own Samantha Irby. Issa Rae’s work has garnered over 20 million views and over 150,000 YouTube subscribers. In addition to making Glamour magazine’s “35 Under 35” list and Forbes’s “30 Under 30,” she won the Shorty Award for Best Web Show, partnered with Shonda Rhimes on an ABC television series, and is currently developing a half-hour comedy with Larry Wilmore for HBO. Issa’s work has been noted in The New York Times, Elle, Rolling Stone, MSNBC, Essence, and more.
Issa will be in conversation with the hilarious Samantha Irby, author of Meaty, host of Guts and Glory: Live Lit for the Lionhearted, and blogger at bitchesgottaeat.

To attend this event, you will need to purchase Issa Rae's book THE MISADVENTURES OF AWKWARD BLACK GIRL. You can buy the book over the phone by calling the store at 773-769-9299.

WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING ONLINE ORDERS FOR TICKETS TO THIS EVENT. PLEASE CALL THE STORE TO SEE IF TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. 

This event will be held at The Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark
St. just a half-block away from Women & Children First. Issa Rae's book publishes on February 10th. You can pick up your book and ticket at the bookstore anytime after the 10th.

Join us for a unique event celebrating two Chicago illustrators, Peggy Macnamara and Julia Anderson-Miller. The evening will feature a slide show of the artists’ work, refreshments,and musical accompaniment by accordion player Heather Riordan. Peggy is the
Field Museum’s artist in residence and also an associate of the zoology department there. She also teaches scientific illustration and watercolor techniques at the School of the Art Institute. She has exhibited her work in museums and galleries throughout the United States and is the author of several books, including Painting Wildlife in Watercolor and Architecture by Birds and Insects. Julia Anderson-Miller studied drawing, painting, and art history at Moorhead State University and the University of Minnesota. She has illustrated several books in pen and ink, including Peculiar People the Story of My Life by Augustus Hare. Julia has had solo shows of her paintings in New York and Chicago where she currently works as a director of design services.

Beloved children’s book
illustrator and author Rosemary Wells has been creating classic picture books
since the 1970s. Her stories often use animal characters rather than humans,
allowing her to address sophisticated, controversial topics in a way that is
charmingly accessible. She is best known for the timeless Max and Ruby series,
which follows the everyday adventures of sibling bunnies. Other favorites
include Noisy Nora, Hands Off Harry, Yoko, and the McDuff series. Rosemary
Wells grew up in New York City in a house “filled with books, dogs, and
nineteenth-century music.” She now lives in upstate New York.

In this powerful memoir, Lee-Ann Meredith describes how, after her husband’s death, she gained strength from an unlikely source: her second grade students. This humorous account offers a glimpse into the human component of teaching from the point of view of a passionate educator who succeeded despite the challenges of one of
the largest and most problematic school systems in the United States. Lee-Ann Meredith is a retired Chicago Public School teacher who still lives in Chicago where she writes about education. She is also a credentialed practitioner of alternative health therapies and dances every opportunity she gets. Refreshments will be served.

Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

Abrams

Jeff
Kinney, author of the famous Wimpy Kid series, stops by the store to
sign books and meet readers (and/or their parents)! Surprise someone
in your life with a signed copy of the seventh book in the series,
The
Third Wheel,
which publishes November 13th.

After Mandela: The Struggle for
Freedom in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Liveright

In the mid-1990s, South Africa’s
transition from apartheid to democracy inspired millions of people
around the world. In his new book, Northwestern University Medill
School of Journalism Professor Douglas Foster checks in with South
Africa--from the largest cities to its most troubled townships and
smallest villages and across lines of gender, race, ethnicity, and
culture--to explore how the successes and failures of this remarkable
experiment in social change have repercussions in the broader global
community.  

The Adventures of Vivian Sharpe, Vegan Superhero

Blogger Marla Rose is co-founder of the Chicago Vegan Family Network, and

one of the organizers of Chicago’s VeganMania festival. In her novel, The Adventures of

Vivian Sharpe, Vegan Superhero, A quiet, introspective 15-year-old receives a night

vision that sets off a series of sudden and profound changes in her life, including new

special powers, and the urgent task to expose the destructive plans of her hometown’s

largest employer. The result is a classic American coming-of-age vegan superhero

thriller; a page-turner delivered with intelligence and humor.

Women for Lisa Madigan Book Party

Reception, book sale & signing

Jodee Blanco, featured author

Studio Paris at Paris Club, 59 W.
Hubbard

Please join us for
a very special fundraiser for Attorney General Lisa Madigan so she
can continue her important work protecting and supporting women and
children in Illinois! Blanco is a pre-eminent authority on school
bullying and the author of the best-selling Please Stop Laughing
at Me: One Woman’s Inspirational Story, referred to by many as
the anti-bullying bible. For more information or to purchase tickets,
go to lisamadigan.org/events/WFLM2012.

The Love of My Youth

Mary Gordon, author of the acclaimed novels Pearl and Final Payments, returns with a beautifully choreographed novel about first lovers meeting again after more than thirty years. Miranda and Adam are masterfully portrayed personalities intent upon understanding who they are in relation to who they were. The Love of My Youth is a story about what first love means and how it is shattered and the lessons old lovers may still have to share with each other many years later.

“Since this is Gordon, you can rightly expect many thoughtful, penetrating insights into how we manage ourselves as we get older, all couched in shining and gently acidic prose.”

—Library Journal

Struggling songwriter Lindsey-Smith Cutter faces her greatest passion and her own rage when a Halloween wish becomes a question of Trick or Treat in this new lesbian paranormal thriller by Chicago writer Barbara Wells.

Stand-up comedian, talk show host, and best-selling author Chelsea Handler will be at Women & Children First this Sunday, April 11th from

5-6:15pm.

We will have  her new book for sale so you can get it signed! Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet one of the funniest women on air and in print today!

***The fine and VERY IMPORTANT print: Handler can only sign a limited number of her new book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, which needs to be purchased before or on the day of the event at Women & Children First. Upon purchasing the book you will receive a number that represents your place in line to keep the signing orderly. Handler will personalize your books, although she cannot write messages. Handler will also not be able to take posed pictures, but you may take pictures of her while in line.***

Complimentary mini-martinis while you wait in line!

Join us when our favorite feminist mystery writer drops in for an informal booksigning on the occasion of the highly anticipated return of beloved P.I., V. I. Warshawski, in Paretsky's new book, Hardball. V. I. Warshawski's search for a man who's been missing for four decades uncovers old skeletons from Chicago's racially charged history, as well as haunting family secrets. Is it possible that Warshawski's adored father was a bent cop? We'll have some refreshments on hand. Stop in and pick up your autographed copy of Hardball on the very day it hits the stacks. If you can't stop by, call and we'll get a copy signed for you.