Top Ten New Distro Items for the Whole Family! (October)
I’ll be the first to admit it’s a little weird for me to be writing a “kids-and-family” themed top ten post. I never babysat as a teen, I’m not an aunt or a big sister, let alone a parent. I don’t even want to have kids myself. But, one thing I do want is for people who are taking care of little ones to have lots of good lessons to teach them and lots of fun activities to help them engage with the world. And of course I hope those same parents and caregivers will be doing their best to create a world that is suitable to pass on to another generation.
Fortunately, this month our warehouse is pretty much bursting with new stock to help you with just these endeavors. AK always has a selection of kids’ books, and of course we have countless titles we hope will help you to change the world, but in the past few weeks, we’ve gotten in a record-setting bunch. Enough that this post was sort of inevitable, really. Our top ten this month range from coloring books to graphic novels, to a study and criticism of familial homophobia. Enjoy!
For the little (or not-so-little) ones:
In their new coloring book, Coloring Outside the Lines, IndyKids! highlights some of the diverse and creative actions taken during the last 50 years of progressive organizing in the United States. Kids learn that activism isn’t one thing, but an array of activities—from protesting injustice with a march or sit-in, to performing a play, to recording dissent with a camera or working within your community. With 20 pages of illustrations, Coloring Outside the Lines strives to spark kids’ imaginations and show that everyone can be part of the struggle for a more just world.
Girls Are Not Chicks Coloring Book:
Like Coloring Outside the Lines, Girls Are Not Chicks is a fun and creative way to get subversive (positive!) messages into the minds of kids. This book helps to deconstruct the homogeneity of gender expression in children’s media by showing diverse pictures that reinforce positive gender roles for girls. Color the Rapunzel for a new society—she now has power tools, a roll of duct tape, a Tina Turner album, and a bus pass! Paint outside the lines with Miss Muffet as she tells that spider off and considers a career as an arachnologist! Girls are not chicks—girls are thinkers, creators, fighters, healers and superheroes.
Punk Rock Fun Time Activity Book:
Okay, this one will probably be more fun for you than your kid, but maybe that’s the point! Help Siouxsie Sioux apply her makeup. Draw Henry Rollins’ tattoos. Color in the members of Green Day. Part history lesson and part activity time, the Punk Rock Fun Time Activity Book will be more fun than a night at CBGB. With a foreword by American Hardcore author Steven Blush, and a cover collage of punk art legends, this is a must-have for the music lover in your (dysfunctional) family!
The creators of this delightful little picture book insist it’s more for adults than children (after all, violence and anger management issues are learned behavior, right?), but we think it’ll be entertaining and educational for anyone who picks it up. Bunny wants to punch Pinky in the face—what will happen next? This book explores the many possible effects that a single act of violence can produce. I Want To Punch Your Face is especially useful as a means to think and talk about the effects of violence in society and in our everyday lives.
Disbelief 101: A Young Person’s Guide to Atheism:
So totally necessary, this book counters religious belief with wit, humor, and logic. This exploration into atheism is written for young adults, although older people will also find it of value. Not just focused on atheism, this crash course in logical thinking addresses the issue of indoctrination, be it religious, political, or commercial, and makes the case that morality is created through reason, logic, and our basic social nature, not through divine commands. Topics include the traditional arguments for God’s existence, the relationship of evolution and religious belief, the incompatible nature of science and religion, and the harmfulness of both Christianity and Islam.
Another book that’s not just for adolescents. Anyone who’s ever been a punk, a queer, or a misfit of any stripe will appreciate Liz Baillie’s carefully crafted and believable characters in this second volume of her graphic novel. Be sure to read Volume 1 first, of course (conveniently available here)! Will queer teenage romance succeed? Will our heroes prevail over high school principals, skinheads, and a homophobic society? You’ve got to pick it up to find out.
… and For You:
Slingshot 2010 OrganizersIn two convenient sizes (the big, spiral bound one, and the cute, little, pocket-sized one) and a ton of different colors, the new Slingshots are here to help you plan your life away for the next year! If you’re anything like, well, most of us, a good planner is a tool you just can’t live without. And what better planner could you hope for than one that includes radical dates for every day of the year, space to write your phone numbers, a contact list of radical groups around the globe, a menstrual calendar (all the more helpful for family planning, if that’s your thing! Or just getting in tune with your body), info on police repression, extra note pages, and more? Order one now and get a head start.
Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers:
Ok, not so much specific to families, but certainly relevant (you caught the “midwives” part in the title, right?). This pamphlet explores the historical role of women in healing within the context of the male takeover of healthcare that has spanned centuries and tactics. The authors conclude that, despite efforts to exclude them, the resurgence of women as healers should be a long-range goal of the women’s movement. This is one to help you educate yourself in history, medicine, and feminism. What more could you ask for in a little pamphlet?
Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide:
As someone with a vested interest in both protecting your family and saving the world (that’s what we’re talking about here, right?), this book is for you! Preparedness Now empowers individuals and communities to take care of themselves and each other in the face of any emergency, and build more sustainable lifestyles along the way. Packed with checklists, resources, and step-by-step instructions, Preparedness Now teaches you how to make the most informed choices for your own disaster plan—wherever you may live, and whatever your physical abilities and financial means.
Ties That Bind: Familial Homophobia and Its Consequences:
In this groundbreaking book, playwright and social critic Sarah Schulman explores the family, the first place where all people—straight, gay, and bisexual—learn homophobia. For it is within the family that homophobia begins to control people’s lives, whether as perpetrators or recipients. Schulman uncovers the hidden crime of “familial homophobia” and moves it into the open for social and political scrutiny, illustrating how societal homophobia is rooted in the family but reaches into all levels of social interaction, including how gay people treat each other. Ties That Bind will fundamentally change our understanding of homophobia and will redefine the political landscape not just for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people but for us all.
Of course, if all these aren’t enough for you, you can check out back issues of Hip Mama, our cache of coloring books, bilingual children’s books, the Young Women’s Survival Guide, and many, many more .
And while you’re at it, if you just want to poke around and see what’s on sale, that’s a great place to start no matter what you’re looking for. Check out our most excellent deals here.