Braille Book Review January-February 2012 Volume 81, Number 1 About Braille Book Review Braille Book Review is published bimonthly in braille, large-print, and online formats and distributed at no cost to blind and physically handicapped individuals who participate in the Library of Congress reading program. It lists braille books and magazines available through a network of cooperating libraries and carries news of developments in library services. The braille edition also lists NLS audiobooks appearing in Talking Book Topics with brief annotations. The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, including bestsellers, classics, biographies, romance novels, mysteries, and how-to guides. Some books in Spanish are also available. To learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, access the NLS International Union Catalog online at loc.gov/nls or contact your local cooperating library. Braille Book Review is available online in HTML and plain text at www.loc.gov/nls/bbr. Patrons enrolled in the Web-Braille service may download contracted braille files for use with braille output devices. About Web-Braille Most books and all magazines listed in Braille Book Review are available for download for use with braille output devices. To use the Web-Braille service contact your cooperating library. Music scores and instructional materials Individuals registered for NLS music services may receive braille and large-print music scores, texts, and instructional recordings about music and musicians through the NLS Music Section. For more information about the NLS music collection call 1-800-424-8567, send an e-mail to nlsm@loc.gov, or visit www.loc.gov/nls/music/index.html. Where to write Order braille books through your local braille-lending library. To change or cancel a Braille Book Review subscription complete the form on the inside back cover and mail it to your local braille-lending library. To find your library check the last pages of this magazine or go online to www.loc.gov/nls/find.html. Patrons who are American citizens living abroad may request delivery to foreign addresses by contacting the overseas librarian by phone at (202) 707-5100 or e-mail at nls@loc.gov. Readers who are deaf-blind may contact cooperating libraries by TTY or by a state relay service. To contact NLS by TTY, dial (202) 707-0744. Send correspondence about editorial matters to: Publications and Media Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington DC, 20542-0002. Library of Congress, Washington 2012 Catalog Card Number 53-31800 ISSN 0006-873X Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Nonfiction Fiction Books for Children Nonfiction Fiction Braille Magazines ### In Brief Collection Development Advisory Group will not meet in 2012 Because of budgetary reductions, NLS will not host a meeting of the Collection Development Advisory Group (CDAG) in 2012. The next CDAG meeting is expected to take place in May 2013. Further information will be announced as it becomes available. Magazine of the Month selections for 2012 Two NLS programs offer readers samples of magazines not otherwise available through network libraries. Subscribers to Magazine of the Month and Young Adult Magazine of the Month receive a different magazine on audiocassette each month. For a free subscription to either program, contact your cooperating talking-book library. Subscribers may expect to receive a few of the following selections: Magazine of the Month Stereophile Fido Friendly Living Without Classic Trains Mystery Scene Make: Technology on Your Time My Home, My Style Eating Well VegNews Martha Stewart Living Popular Communications Hobby Farm Home Alternates: The Absolute Sound, Whole Dog Journal, Delight Gluten Free, Railfan and Railroad, Poets and Writers, Popular Mechanics, Fresh Home, Cook’s Country, Vegetarian Times, All You, CQ: Radio Amateurs Journal, Country Living Young Adult Magazine of the Month SLAM Seventeen J-14 Teen Ink Dog Fancy Road & Track Game Informer Comics Buyer’s Guide XXL Fantasy and Science Fiction Wired Mac|Life Alternates: NBA: HOOP, Twist, Cicada, Dog World, Motor Trend, Beckett Massive Online Gamer, PC Gamer, The Source, Cemetery Dance 2012 calendars Listed below are organizations that produce calendars in braille or print/braille. American Printing House for the Blind (APH) PO Box 6085 Louisville, KY 40206-0085 800-223-1839 (502) 899-2284 fax cs@aph.org https://shop.aph.org Accepts orders by fax, mail, or telephone. • Braille DateBook calendar in a two-ring binder. Calendar has tabbed pages of durable plastic. Catalog no. 1-07899-12, $66. Calendar replacement pages, catalog no. 1-07898-12, $18. Filler paper and extra tabs, catalog no. 1-07897-00, $11. • Large-print/braille (36 point) 8-1/2 x 11-inch APH InSights Art Calendar. Includes holidays and moon phases. Features selected art from the APH juried competition. Catalog no. 5-18971-12, $7.50. • Large-print/braille everyday activities calendar in a three-ring binder with color dividers between each month, two days per page. Calendar can be used year after year. For children ages three to eight. Catalog no. 1-08121-00, $60. • Large-print/braille individual calendar kit. Contains two brightly colored embossed bold-line grid sheets for making individual month-at-a-glance calendar. Catalog no. 1-18971-00, $18. Lutheran Blind Mission 7550 Watson Road St. Louis, MO 63119-4409 888-215-2455 blind.mission@blindmission.org www.blindmission.org Accepts requests by e-mail, mail, or telephone. • Braille 8 x 11-inch scripture calendar. Features a Bible verse and raised picture each month. Free. Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund 3500 North Elm Road Jackson, MI 49201 (517) 780-5096 (517) 780-5548 fax info@mi-braille.org http://mi-braille.org Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, or telephone. • Large-print/braille 6-1/4 x 3-3/4-inch purse-size, spiral-bound calendar. Includes a separate listing of major holidays. Free. National Federation of the Blind Independence Market 1800 Johnson Street Baltimore, MD 21230 (410) 659-9314, ext. 2216 (410) 685-2340 fax IndependenceMarket@nfb.org www.nfb.org Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, mail, or telephone. • Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch calendar. Features one page per month, a personal day page, and a listing of major holidays. Catalog no. BBC11B, free. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress Attn: Reference Section Washington, DC 20542 (202) 707-9275 800-424-8567 nlsref@loc.gov Accepts requests by e-mail or telephone. • Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch datefinder and signature guide. Covers a twelve-month period from July to June; 2011-2012 edition is currently available. Measures 5 x 3-1/2 inches. Free. Olmsted Center for Sight 1170 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14209-0398 (716) 882-1025 Accepts orders by mail. • Braille 5-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch desk calendar with two days per page and dividers for each month. $46.97. Refills, $38.99. Sight Connection Store 9709 Third Avenue NE, #100 Seattle, WA 98115-2027 (206) 525-5556 voice/TDD 800-458-4888 (206) 525-0422 fax store@sightconnection.org www.sightconnection.com Accepts prepaid orders by fax, mail, online, or telephone. • Braille magnetic board calendar holds the days and months of the year in 1-inch tiles. Tiles are in braille and print with raised tactile numbers and letters. Includes extra tiles. Catalog no. PLU 809, $33.75. Newsstand The following announcements may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. The items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listings do not imply endorsement. Scholarship opportunity for college students Blind college students in the United States may now apply for a 2012 scholarship from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), which offers thirty such grants annually. Applications for 2012 are due by March 31, 2012. Membership in NFB is not required. For more information on eligibility and the application process, visit www.nfb.org/scholarships, e-mail scholarships@nfb.org, or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2415. NASA releases tactile book about the moon Blind and visually impaired persons interested in astronomy may obtain copies of a new tactile book, Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters, for free from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The seventeen-page publication, released by NASA’s Lunar Science Institute, includes both braille and illustrations designed to teach readers about the surface of the moon. To order the book, send an e-mail to nasa_order@lcjvs.net or visit http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/tactile, which provides more information and downloadable audio and text versions. Sense of Science kits available Sense of Science kits provide tactile aids and teaching guides to help blind and visually impaired students gain a greater understanding of scientific topics. Available from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), the series includes modules on plants, animals, and—its newest offering— astronomy. The Astronomy module is appropriate for a broad range of ages and grade levels and incorporates vocabulary, math, and science in its activities. Kits can be ordered from the APH website at http://shop.aph.org or by calling 1-800-223-1839, toll-free. ### _Books for Adults_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. _Note:_ For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of violence, strong language, or explicit descriptions of sex. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language." Adult Nonfiction The Immortal Game: A History of Chess; or, How Thirty-two Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain BR 17706 by David Shenk 3 volumes Journalist explores the fifteen-hundred-year history of chess from antiquity and the Middle Ages to modern Western culture. Discusses influence on military strategy, mathematics, and the arts. Provides move-by-move analyses of six famous matches, including the 1851 contest between Anderssen and Kieseritzky that is dubbed the “immortal game.” Explains rules. 2006. BR 17706 ## The Menopause Thyroid Solution: Overcome Menopause by Solving Your Hidden Thyroid Problems BR 18486 by Mary J. Shomon 4 volumes Asserts that many women who are entering menopause also have a thyroid slowdown and, because the symptoms of both conditions are similar, these women are rarely diagnosed with or treated for thyroid deficiencies. Describes tests to determine thyroid problems. Discusses treatments to improve metabolism, increase energy, and balance hormones. 2009. BR 18486 ## Living with HIV: A Patient’s Guide BR 18487 by Mark Cichocki 3 volumes Registered nurse recaps the history of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and describes the entire disease lifespan from prevention to diagnosis and beyond. Includes information on treatment options and associated conditions. Provides guides to monitoring one’s health, treating the whole person, and living with HIV. 2009. BR 18487 ## Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft BR 18639 by Thor Heyerdahl 2 volumes Recounts the 1947 voyage of six Norwegians who sailed from Peru to Tahiti on a balsa-log raft to test the author’s theory that the original settlers of Polynesia were South Americans following Pacific Ocean currents. Describes the sailors’ difficult, exhilarating, and ultimately successful one-hundred-one-day journey. Includes 2004 foreword. 1950. BR 18639 ## Pretty Little Pincushions BR 18641 edited by Susan Brill 1 volume Provides instructions for creating thirty pincushions that range from elegant and vintage to classic and cute. Uses basic hand-sewing techniques and materials like felt and fabric scraps, ribbons, trim, and buttons. Projects include a porcupine, a beehive, cacti, a pot of violets, and a flower corsage. 2007. BR 18641 ## Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding BR 18743 by Marianne Neifert 4 volumes Pediatrician pens a complete guide to breastfeeding. Discusses issues such as preparation before birth, health benefits, common problems, high-risk babies, and expressing and storing milk. Offers tips for working moms and guidelines for adjusting to parenthood. Also covers dietary matters and weaning. 2009. BR 18743 ## Choral Masterworks: A Listener’s Guide BR 18944 by Michael Steinberg 4 volumes Essays based on program notes present musical analysis and background of some fifty works for accompanied chorus, arranged alphabetically by composer. Discusses Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, and compositions by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, Stravinsky, Adams, and Wuorinen, among others. 2005. BR 18944 ## How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew BR 18948 by Erin Bried 2 volumes Ten grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression contribute practical, money-saving tips for housekeeping and personal care. Step-by-step instructions cover cooking, gardening, composting, cleaning, mending, grooming, budgeting, and menu planning. Also includes advice for staying on good terms with family, neighbors, and friends. 2009. BR 18948 ## Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence BR 18969 by Seth Shostak 3 volumes Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) astronomer reflects on the history of humankind’s search for life on other planets and moons and discusses the probability of discovering alien life via radio signals. Explains SETI’s origins, mission, and work performing technical consultations for Hollywood. 2009. BR 18969 ## The Dog Says How BR 19072 by Kevin Kling 1 volume Good-humored autobiographical essays from playwright and National Public Radio commentator Kling feature his life in Minnesota. He discusses his family, dog, and travel experiences and ruminates on a motorcycle accident that injured his arm, leading him to use voice-activated software on his computer. 2007. BR 19072 ## Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload BR 19073 by Mark Hurst 2 volumes Offers strategies for dealing with the barrage of information delivered through e-mails, the Internet, cell phones, and other digital devices. Describes ways to maintain an empty in-box, manage and prioritize to-do lists, organize and store digital photos, and work more productively with bits. 2007. BR 19073 ## Seven-Tenths: Love, Piracy, and Science at Sea BR 19090 by David Fisichella 2 volumes David Fisichella, a mechanical engineer, chronicles a series of research cruises on which he served as the “eyes” for Amy Bower, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute oceanographer with deteriorating vision. He reflects on their experiences together, including surviving a pirate attack, and their courtship. 2010. BR 19090 ## Lamentations of the Father BR 19153 by Ian Frazier 2 volumes Thirty-six essays by American humorist and New Yorker magazine contributor. In the title piece Frazier adopts an Old Testament tone for a wrathful father chastising his children about table manners. “What I Am” recounts an ongoing argument between husband and wife over loading the dishwasher. Thurber Prize. 2008. BR 19153 ## Are We Not There Yet? Travels in Nepal, North India, and Bhutan BR 19172 by Chuck Rosenthal 2 volumes American teacher/novelist knowledgeable about Buddhism recounts a four-month trip to South Asia with a small group of travelers. Describes the intensity of Calcutta, the beauty of Bhutan, the discomforts encountered while visiting out-of-the-way temples and monasteries in search of the elusive yeti, and other adventures. Some strong language. 2009. BR 19172 ## Tocqueville’s Discovery of America BR 19179 by Leo Damrosch 3 volumes Prizewinning biographer reconstructs the nine-month journey of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville and his friend Beaumont through the United States in 1831–1832. Captures the young nation’s mood through letters and documents reflecting Tocqueville’s perspective. 2010. BR 19179 ## A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever BR 19213 by Marianne Williamson 2 volumes Author offers holistic techniques to integrate mind, body, and spirit to fight obesity. Discusses the connection between spirituality and weight loss and illustrates ways to retrain one’s mind to break the cycle of overeating, dieting, and shame. Bestseller. 2010. BR 19213 ## Orchid of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness BR 19223 by Cathryn Carroll and Catherine Hoffpauir Fischer 3 volumes Autobiography of deaf Cajun woman follows her early childhood, attendance at the Louisiana School for the Deaf, and graduation from Gallaudet University. Describes the post-childbirth vision problems that led her to research her heritage as an Acadian, the group with the highest rates of Usher syndrome in the world. 2001. BR 19223 ## Adult Fiction Critical Space: An Atticus Kodiak Novel BR 18495 by Greg Rucka 4 volumes Luck has allowed professional bodyguard Atticus Kodiak to elude the assassin code-named Drama in the past, but when Drama experiences a threat to her own life, Atticus’s luck runs out. Drama captures Atticus’s current client as leverage for a deal. Violence and strong language. 2001. BR 18495 ## The Time Traveler’s Wife BR 18501 by Audrey Niffenegger 4 volumes Librarian Henry DeTamble first meets his future wife Clare when he is twenty-eight and Clare is twenty—but Clare has actually known Henry since she was six. Henry suffers from Chrono-Impairment, a disorder that catapults him sporadically through time, complicating the couple’s enduring love. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. BR 18501 ## Marriage 101 BR 18517 by Deborah Shelley 1 volume Family life-skills teacher Rachel Levin accepts a dare from her high school students to pretend to be married to someone not of her choosing for the whole school year. The kids match her with gym instructor and marriage skeptic Danny Ricucci. True romance blossoms between the mismatched educators. 2008. BR 18517 ## Flygirl BR 18643 by Sherri L. Smith 2 volumes Ida Mae Jones dreams about flying. After World War II begins, the army initiates a new program—Women Airforce Service Pilots. Light-skinned Ida Mae signs up for the mission but realizes she must keep her African American heritage a secret in order to fly. For junior and senior high readers. 2008. BR 18643 ## Schemers: A “Nameless Detective” Mystery BR 18645 by Bill Pronzini 2 volumes The Nameless Detective investigates the case of Gregory Pollexfen, whose valuable mystery books were stolen from his locked San Francisco home library. Meanwhile Nameless’s associate Tamara is in love, and his cohort Jake seeks a stalker with no apparent connection to his victims. Some violence and some strong language. 2009. BR 18645 ## The Geometry of Sisters BR 18646 by Luanne Rice 3 volumes After the drowning of her husband and disappearance of her older daughter, Maura moves her other two children, daughter Beck and son Travis, from Columbus, Ohio, to Newport, Rhode Island, where both Maura’s long-ago summer lover and estranged sister live. Some descriptions of sex. 2009. BR 18646 ## Wintergirls BR 18651 by Laurie Halse Anderson 2 volumes Lia’s estranged best friend Cassie is found alone in the Gateway Motel—dead, after calling Lia thirty-three times. While Lia feels guilty for not acting to prevent Cassie’s death from bulimia, she continues to struggle with her own anorexia and self-mutilation. For junior and senior high readers. 2009. BR 18651 ## Incandescence BR 18656 by Greg Egan 3 volumes After meeting a traveler who has bits of information from an uncataloged DNA world, discontented Amalgam explorer Rakesh journeys to the galactic core in search of the Aloof race. Meanwhile Roi and Zak, members of Aloof, begin to discover their place in the universe. 2008. BR 18656 ## A Mad Desire to Dance BR 18663 by Elie Wiesel 2 volumes Doriel Waldman, a Polish-born Jew and World War II survivor, is tormented by the weight of Judaic history and convinced he’s haunted by a dybbuk. With the help of psychoanalyst Thérèse Goldschmidt, Doriel digs into his memories of the Holocaust, when his mother was a fighter in the Resistance. 2006. BR 18663 ## The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners BR 18941 by Luanne Rice 2 volumes In this sequel to The Geometry of Sisters (BR 18646), sixteen-year-old Pell visits Capri to reconcile with her mother, whose depression led her to abandon the family a decade ago. Also on Capri is nineteen-year-old recovering addict Rafe, who tries to move beyond his past. Strong language. 2009. BR 18941 ## Shattered BR 18942 by Karen Robards 3 volumes Attorney Lisa Grant returns to her family’s Kentucky horse farm to help her ailing mother. Lisa takes a job with district attorney Scott Buchanan and begins researching the decades-old disappearance of a family. But probing causes dangerous repercussions. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2010. BR 18942 ## Everwild: Skinjacker Trilogy, Book 2 BR 18943 by Neal Shusterman 3 volumes Nick the Chocolate Ogre tries to release all the children in Everlost from their state of afterlife limbo. Meanwhile Mikey and Allie join a band of skinjackers and place themselves in danger by visiting the world of the living. Sequel to Everlost (BR 17117). For senior high readers. 2009. BR 18943 ## Country Passions BR 18945 by Rebecca Shaw 2 volumes England. When Barleybridge veterinarian Dan Brown is seriously injured in a car accident, former member of the practice Scott Spencer arranges to cover for him. Manager Joy unhappily remembers Scott’s callous attitude toward women—and she quits. But a shocking secret will teach Scott a lesson during his return tenure. 2004. BR 18945 ## One Hot Country Summer BR 18946 by Rebecca Shaw 2 volumes England. Kate, former receptionist at the Barleybridge Veterinary Hospital, returns as a student vet. But still being in love with Australian Scott Spencer, who married Zoe, could cause complications for Kate. And working for incompetent doctor Virginia Havelock, whose mistakes may lead to a lawsuit, is another problem. 2007. BR 18946 ## The Aloha Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel BR 18947 by Jennifer Chiaverini 3 volumes In the midst of a difficult divorce, Bonnie leaves Pennsylvania to help an old friend set up a quilting camp in Hawaii. When Bonnie’s husband demands half of her share in the Elm Creek quilting business, she’s devastated—but she soon finds solace in the tropical surroundings. 2010. BR 18947 ## Dictation: A Quartet BR 18950 by Cynthia Ozick 2 volumes Four stories of deception and revenge by O. Henry Prize winner. In the title work the secretaries of Henry James and Joseph Conrad conspire to achieve their own immortality. Includes “Actors,” “At Fumicaro,” and “What Happened to the Baby?” 2008. BR 18950 ## The Spellmans Strike Again BR 18970 by Lisa Lutz 3 volumes After Revenge of the Spellmans (BR 18511), thirty-two-year-old Izzy Spellman tries to run the family PI business, expose their competition, and solve a missing-persons case. Meanwhile, Izzy’s mother is blackmailing her, cop Henry Stone appears to be wooing her, and other Spellmans continue their zany antics. 2010. BR 18970 ## Dreams That Won’t Let Go: Jubilant Soul, Book 3 BR 19067 by Stacy Hawkins Adams 2 volumes Jubilant, Texas. Indigo Burns is planning her wedding when her long-lost brother Reuben returns and claims their parents’ total attention. But Reuben has a secret reason for moving back home with his blind wife and son, and with the help of God the family will reconnect. 2010. BR 19067 ## A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories BR 19069 by Flannery O’Connor 2 volumes Ten tales about southerners facing problems of salvation. In the title piece a sarcastic, self-centered grandmother reluctantly joins her son’s family on a trip to Florida and has a run-in with some dangerous men. Includes “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” Some violence and some strong language. 1948. BR 19069 ## The Shanghai Moon BR 19146 by S.J. Rozan 3 volumes During the Holocaust Rosalie Gilder fled Austria for Shanghai and vanished from official records. Her jewelry briefly resurfaces decades later—only to be stolen. PI Lydia Chin accepts a job tracking it down, then turns to estranged partner Bill Smith for help investigating when her contact is killed. 2009. BR 19146 ## The Master and Margarita BR 19148 by Mikhail Bulgakov 5 volumes Satire of Soviet society. Satan and his cronies wreak havoc in 1930s Moscow. The Master, who is writing a tale about Pontius Pilate, is confined to a psychiatric clinic, while his beloved Margarita flies naked in the night sky. Notes and 1997 translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. 1940. BR 19148 ## Sex and the Single Earl BR 19154 by Vanessa Kelly 3 volumes Yorkshire, 1815. Simon St. James, an earl, courts longtime acquaintance Sophie Stanton, whose grandfather’s land is crucial to building Simon’s wool empire. Sophie secretly lovesSimon but finds his motives and fear of gossip distasteful—especially when she causes a scandal by helping a street urchin. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2010. BR 19154 ## Sahara: A Dirk Pitt Adventure BR 19155 by Clive Cussler 5 volumes West Africa. Dirk Pitt seeks the origin of a red tide threatening global oxygen supplies. As Pitt and sidekick Al Giordino track pollutants, they suffer enslavement in a coal mine, rescue a woman from cannibalistic nomads, discover a hazardous-waste disposal plant, and find a long-missing pilot’s body. Some violence. 1992. BR 19155 ## Still Missing BR 19156 by Chevy Stevens 3 volumes British Columbia real estate agentAnnie O’Sullivan bitterly recounts to a therapist her experience being kidnapped from an open house by a rapist and enslaved for a year in a remote cabin. As sessions continue, Annie learns shocking information about her captor’s identity. Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. 2010. BR 19156 ## Deadly Intent BR 19158 by Lynda La Plante 5 volumes Detective inspector Anna Travis, still reeling over her breakup with now chief superintendent James Langton, receives a new case: former cop Frank Brandon’s fatal shooting in a drug house. The murder team members are soon on the trail of a wily chameleon-like international drug dealer. Violence and strong language. 2008. BR 19158 ## One Good Dog BR 19163 by Susan Wilson 2 volumes Self-made executive Adam March loses his job, social-climbing wife, and spoiled teenage daughter after slapping a woman at work. Sentenced to community service at a homeless shelter, Adam takes in a rescued fighting pit bull and slowly regains his sense of humanity. Some strong language. 2010. BR 19163 ## Minding Frankie BR 19210 by Maeve Binchy 3 volumes Dublin. Alcoholic clerk Noel Lynch becomes a single father when his lover Stella dies after giving birth to their daughter Frankie. Noel’s parents, neighbors, and American cousin Emily band together to help raise the baby. Meanwhile, social worker Moira hounds Noel as he struggles to stay sober. Bestseller. 2010. BR 19210 ## Port Mortuary BR 19211 by Patricia Cornwell 4 volumes Kay Scarpetta, a former air force doctor, receives training at Dover Air Force Base on conducting virtual autopsies using 3-D imaging technology. Back at Cambridge, Kay’s husband Benton, her niece Lucy, and investigator Pete help Kay probe three murders connected to the military. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2010. BR 19211 ## Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It BR 19216 by J.D. Mason 2 volumes Thirty-year-old African American Tasha Darden hires a PI to track down her birth mother. Three former high school friends—career woman Phyllis, abused Renetta, and housewife Freddie—become targets of the investigation. They meet and relive the bitter past, but are unsure of how much to reveal to Tasha. Strong language. 2010. BR 19216 ## Winner Take All BR 19217 by T. Davis Bunn 3 volumes North Carolina attorney Marcus Glenwood, from The Great Divide (BR 15912), agrees to track down CEO Dale Steadman’s ex-wife, opera star Erin Brandt, who has kidnapped their baby daughter and fled to Germany. When Erin turns up murdered in New York, Glenwood is accused of the crime. 2003. BR 19217 ## The Trouble with Angels BR 19220 by Debbie Macomber 3 volumes Angels Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy return to Earth to answer Christmas prayers. They help twelve-year-old Karen and her bitter divorcée mother Maureen find love and reconciliation, lessen preacher Paul Morris’s grief over his wife’s death, and find Ted a girlfriend, who works at his mother’s nursing home. 1994. BR 19220 ## 212 BR 19222 by Alafair Burke 3 volumes NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher and her partner J.J. Rogan puzzle over the murder of a bodyguard whose corpse was found in his billionaire employer’s penthouse. They also investigate the brutal killing of a college student who was being stalked online. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2010. BR 19222 ## Legacy BR 19225 by Danielle Steel 2 volumes After Brigitte Nicholson loses both her job and her boyfriend, she helps her mother research their family’s genealogy. Brigitte discovers that a Native American, Wachiwi, married Brigitte’s French ancestor, the marquis de Margerac. Brigitte travels to Paris, where she meets historian Marc Henri. Some strong language. 2010. BR 19225 ## Raven Black BR 19285 by Ann Cleeves 3 volumes Two teenaged girls dare each other to stop at reclusive Magnus Tait’s Shetland Island home on New Year’s Eve. When one of them turns up dead soon after, Inspector Jimmy Perez from mainland Scotland must untangle both this murder and one from the past. Some strong language. 2006. BR 19285 ## ### _Books for Children_ The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. Children’s Nonfiction Emily Post’s Table Manners for Kids BR 18659 by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning 1 volume An etiquette guide to eating without grossing people out. Provides rules with explanations for everything from washing before meals to thanking your hostess. Covers setting the table, eating with your fingers, talking with your mouth full, and waiting in buffet and school-cafeteria lines. Offers conversation tips. For grades 4-7. 2009. BR 18659 ## A Life like Mine BR 18860 by UNICEF 1 volume Introduces children of various nationalities and backgrounds who share the desire for a healthy, safe place to grow up. Discusses children’s basic needs for food, water, shelter, schooling, and play. Describes the issues of war, disabilities, and child labor. For grades 3-6. 2002. BR 18860 ## Heroes for My Son BR 19080 by Brad Meltzer 1 volume The author profiles some fifty men and women as examples to live by for his eight-year-old son. Includes the Wright brothers; Frank Shankwitz, creator of the Make-A-Wish Foundation; and a boy with cerebral palsy whose father pushes his wheelchair in races. Uncontracted braille. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 2010. BR 19080 ## My Pet Gecko BR 19089 by Rennay Craats 1 volume Provides background information on this harmless lizard species. Explains which geckos make good pets, their living-space and food requirements, and the owner’s responsibilities. Warns that geckos do not like frequent handling. For grades 3-6. 2010. BR 19089 ## The First American Flag BR 19091 by Kathy Allen 1 volume Presents a history of the United States flag from the earliest version used by the thirteen colonies during the Revolutionary War to the banner representing the fifty states. Discusses the legend of Betsy Ross and explains the flag’s real origins. For grades K-3. 2010. BR 19091 ## The First Independence Day Celebration BR 19093 by Kathy Allen 1 volume Describes the first Independence Day in 1776, when the declaration signed by the thirteen colonies meant war with Great Britain. Discusses ways the celebration changed after the colonists’ victory in 1781 and compares it to our modern Fourth of July with parades, picnics, and fireworks. For grades K-3. 2010. BR 19093 ## Girl in the Know: Your Inside-and-Out Guide to Growing Up BR 19096 by Anne Katz 1 volume Advice on handling the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. Covers bra fitting, menstruation, mood swings, hygiene, diet and nutrition, exercise, sleep needs, and relationships with family and friends. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19096 ## Ireland BR 19098 by Anna McQuinn and Colm McQuinn 1 volume Facts about this small North Atlantic island nation. Chronicles the country’s history from its ancient Celtic civilization to its formation into a modern republic. Describes Ireland’s geography, including its cliffs and bogs. Discusses Irish citizens’ desire to preserve their cultural traditions while improving the economy. For grades 3-6. 2008. BR 19098 ## United States BR 19167 by Elden Croy 1 volume Discusses the diverse people and landscapes of the fifty states that make up the United States of America. Describes the geography, wildlife, history, arts, and economy of this vast country. For grades 3-6. 2010. BR 19167 ## This Is Rocket Science: True Stories of the Risk-Taking Scientists Who Figure Out Ways to Explore beyond Earth BR 19168 by Gloria Skurzynski 1 volume Traces the history of rocketry from its Chinese origins to the International Space Station and profiles key scientists such as Wernher von Braun. Explains the scientific principles that allow satellite launches to overcome Earth’s gravity. Recaps the space race and space shuttle program. For grades 5-8. 2010. BR 19168 ## Explaining Diabetes BR 19170 by Anita Loughrey 1 volume Defines type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Discusses symptoms and diagnoses, insulin injections, dietary guidelines, physical activity, related health issues, and treatments. Includes case studies of adults and kids who live with diabetes and manage their conditions. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19170 ## One-Minute Mysteries: Sixty-five Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! BR 19176 by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder 1 volume Real-life situations at home, play, or outdoors that require math to solve. In “A Measured Response” two boys without a measuring container substitute a soda can and a water bottle. In “A Slice of Life” the challenge is dividing pizza. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19176 ## Explaining Autism BR 19229 by Robert Snedden 1 volume Describes autism, the autistic spectrum, Asperger syndrome, and the varied effects of these disorders on people. Discusses genetics, treatment options, and possible behaviors of autistic children at home, at school, and as they age. Includes case notes on individuals. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19229 ## Explaining Asthma BR 19230 by Angela Royston 1 volume Defines asthma—a condition affecting breathing—and describes its causes and treatments. Discusses the function of the lungs and the effect asthma has on them, the triggers and handling of an asthma attack, and prevention techniques. Includes case notes on children and athletes with asthma. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19230 ## Explaining Blindness BR 19237 by Lionel Bender 1 volume Discusses blindness and various levels of visual impairment, some of which are age-related. Covers causes and effects, treatments for certain conditions, mobility challenges, home and school issues, and new technologies. Includes case studies featuring children and adults. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19237 ## Explaining Deafness BR 19240 by Sarah Levete 1 volume Discusses degrees of deafness and its effect on people. Details causes and diagnosis of deafness and covers topics including lipreading, sign language, hearing aids, cochlear implants, technological devices, and the deaf community. For grades 4-7. 2010. BR 19240 ## Children’s Fiction Just Grace Walks the Dog BR 18516 by Charise Mericle Harper 1 volume With her best friend Mimi’s help, Just Grace sets out to convince her parents that she is dependable and responsible and therefore ready for a pet dog. Her campaign includes drawing a dog named Chip-Up, taping him on a skateboard, and walking him in the park. For grades 2-4. 2008. BR 18516 ## The Desperado Who Stole Baseball BR 18638 by John H. Ritter 2 volumes California, 1881. Twelve-year-old Jack Dillon hopes to play baseball on his uncle’s rough-and-tumble Dillontown Nine team. While crossing the desert on horseback, Jack encounters Billy the Kid and reads him a news clipping about the team’s big-stakes challenge to the champion Chicago White Stockings. For grades 5-8. 2009. BR 18638 ## Andy Shane and the Very Bossy Dolores Starbuckle BR 18974 by Jennifer Richard Jacobson 1 volume Andy Shane hates school, mainly because of a know-it-all tattletale named Dolores Starbuckle. Fortunately Andy has an understanding grandmother, Granny Webb, who visits his class one day and helps him deal with Dolores. For grades K-3. 2005. BR 18974 ## Andy Shane and the Pumpkin Trick BR 18975 by Jennifer Richard Jacobson 1 volume It’s bad enough that bossy Dolores Starbuckle invites Andy to her birthday party, but worse, it’s on Halloween. After helping Dolores prepare for the event and plan a surprise for the mischief makers who smashed Dolores’s prize pumpkins, though, Andy realizes he and Dolores are becoming friends. For grades K-3. 2006. BR 18975 ## The Ugly Duckling BR 19021 retold by Sebastien Braun 1 volume A mother duck hatches her own three small eggs—and a larger one containing an ugly duckling that she promises to love. But the ugly duckling runs away and hides all winter until a swan finds him. Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2010. BR 19021 ## Crispin: The End of Time BR 19075 by Avi 2 volumes While Troth chooses to stay at a convent that needs a healer, Crispin continues trying to fulfill Bear’s dream of moving to Iceland. Falling in with thieves posing as musicians, Crispin makes a new friend—Owen. Sequel to Crispin: At the Edge of the World (BR 16913). For grades 6-9. 2010. BR 19075 ## Andy Shane, Hero at Last BR 19092 by Jennifer Richard Jacobson 1 volume Andy Shane wants two things: to win the best-decorated-bike contest in the Home Sweet Home Parade and, more important, to be a hero. The parade provides Andy an unexpected opportunity to prove himself. For grades K-3. 2010. BR 19092 ## Warriors in the Crossfire BR 19101 by Nancy Bo Flood 1 volume Saipan, South Pacific; 1944. Amid the horror of warfare between the Japanese and Americans, Joseph and his half-Japanese friend Kento take responsibility for their families’ survival, hiding supplies in a cave and risking death to obtain drinking water. Violence. For grades 6-9. 2010. BR 19101 ## The Suburb beyond the Stars BR 19157 by M.T. Anderson 2 volumes Friends Brian and Gregory have survived events of The Game of Sunken Places (BR 15837) but are once again drawn back to cousin Prudence’s house in Vermont. They discover that something has gone very wrong with time, people have disappeared, and danger lurks everywhere. For grades 5-8. 2010. BR 19157 ## A Christmas Carol BR 19173 by Charles Dickens 1 volume The author’s short version of the original Christmas Carol (BR 17785) retains the tale of Tiny Tim, his meek father Bob Cratchit, and the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. For grades 4-7. 1843. BR 19173 ## Zelda and Ivy: The Big Picture BR 19231 by Laura McGee Kvasnosky 1 volume After fox sisters Zelda and Ivy and their friend Eugene watch the scary new Secret Agent Fox movie, they are inspired to play at being spies. When their camp-out is rained out, Zelda suggests a camp-in by the fireplace in their living room. Three short chapters. For grades 2-4. 2010. BR 19231 ## Gator on the Loose! Animal Rescue Team, Book 1 BR 19270 by Sue Stauffacher 1 volume Michigan; Memorial Day weekend. Keisha Carter and her father, younger brother Razi, and grandmother must capture a live alligator in the town swimming pool. Chaos ensues when they bring the alligator back to Carters’ Urban Rescue and it escapes from the bathroom. For grades 3-6. 2010. BR 19270 ## Special Delivery! Animal Rescue Team, Book 2 BR 19271 by Sue Stauffacher 1 volume Ten-year-old Keisha and her family, who operate an animal-rescue center, face challenges that involve freeing a baby crow from a mailbox and tracking down a skunk found in the nearby community garden. For grades 3-6. 2010. BR 19271 ## ### Braille Magazines The following is a list of braille magazines in the Library of Congress program. Readers may obtain free personal subscriptions to these magazines. For information on the availability of specific magazines, consult the library that send you braille materials. Boys' Life (for children and teens, monthly) Braille Book Review (bimonthly) Braille Chess Magazine (British quarterly) Braille Music Magazine (British monthly) Conundrum (British monthly) Cooking Light (11 issues) ESPN: The Magazine (biweekly) Harper's (literary; monthly) Health Newsletters (includes Harvard Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter; monthly) Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine (monthly) Ladies' Home Journal (11 issues) Martha Stewart Living (home and entertaining; monthly) Muse (for children; 9 issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) National Geographic (monthly) The New York Times Large Print Weekly (weekly) News (NLS quarterly) Parenting Early Years (11 issues) Parenting School Years (11 issues) PC World (personal computing; monthly) Playboy (11 issues) Poetry (11 issues) Popular Communications (monthly) Popular Mechanics (monthly) Popular Music Lead Sheets (irregular) Rolling Stone (popular culture; 24 issues) Science News (26 issues) Seventeen (for teens; 10 issues) Short Stories (British monthly) Spider: The Magazine for Children (9 issues) Stone Soup (children's writings; 6 issues) Update (NLS quarterly) Schedules for the following sports leagues are also available: American Baseball League National Baseball League National Basketball Association National Football League National Hockey League Women’s National Basketball Association ###